Evolve
by LavenderSkies
Summary: Sequel to "Searching". Dumped in the living world w/ her memories wiped, Nel was saved from hollows. As our heroes try to solve the mystery, Nel grows attached to her savior: one Kurosaki Ginjo, AKA Grimm. The savior in question, of course, is not amused.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo.

* * *

**Important Note:** This is a sequel. Please read "Searching" first or you'll be lost. While it's probably not _absolutely_ necessary to read "Glimpses", you will get a better feel for character relationships and learn various details if you read that one as well. And if you're already up to speed, then let's get started. XD

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**Chapter One:**

A jagged portal opened in the night sky above Karakura. Standing at the edge of the opening, a one-eyed arrancar sneered down at the quiet town. With one swift motion, he tossed a bundle of ragged cloths into the living world and watched as it fell to the streets below, an unreadable expression on his features. "Don't go getting yourself killed now. After all…that pleasure is reserved for me."

A grin spread across Nnoitora's face as Garganta began to close, his eye still on the falling bundle. "I look forward to seeing you again…Neliel."

As the sky mended itself, the bundle hit the pavement, revealing the face of an unconscious child. When she came to, she pulled herself up into a sitting position despite the pounding in her head as a stream of fresh blood rolled down the side of her face from somewhere under the broken mask atop her head.

She scanned her unfamiliar surroundings with dull and unfocused eyes, unable to recall how she got here. However, as her eyes caught sight of something, her senses suddenly became alert. All around her, white masks with glowing eyes slowly emerged from the shadows. Finding herself surrounded by hollows, the child began to panic.

* * *

Popping another piece of candy into his mouth, Ginjo strolled leisurely along the street as he cast his senses out for hollows, hoping for another workout. Truth was, they had been appearing more and more as of late, often in groups. It was undoubtedly strange, but since it made for a more interesting pastime, he didn't really care to question why.

Just then, the eerie sound of hollows' cries echoed through the crisp night air, and the blue-haired youth grinned in response. But before he could spring into action, his cell phone rang. With a slightly annoyed grumble, he answered.

"Did you feel that?" It was his father.

"Who do you think I am?" Ginjo retorted. "You? I'm already on it."

"I'm tied up in the ER," Ichigo explained.

"Good. Stay there. I don't need you spoiling my fun."

It was Ichigo's turn to grumble. "Keep talking like that and I'll be there in a flash!"

Ginjo snorted, calling his bluff. "What, and kill the poor bastard you're supposed to be operating on?"

"I'll send your mom!" She was still in Soul Society at the moment, due to return sometime that evening, but the boy didn't need to know that she hadn't actually arrived just yet.

Ginjo pulled the phone away from his ear so he could glare at it. "I said don't come, damn it! This fight's mine!" With that said, he simply hung up.

Unzipping the backpack he had slung over one shoulder, he spoke into it instead. "Oi, Kon."

A yellow stuffed lion popped its head out of the bag and pointed accusingly at the boy. "Ginjo, you're just like another Ichigo! What's wrong with you Kurosakis?! Always stuffing poor little ol' me in cramped spaces!"

"Shut up and be grateful I even bothered taking your cotton ass with me," Ginjo said with only mild agitation. "I could have just as easily brought you in pill form."

Kon folded his arms and turned his head. "Hn!"

"I didn't bring you so I could listen to your yapping," Ginjo said as he pointed a finger down towards the cement. "On the ground," he ordered.

"What? But—"

"Now," the boy said firmly, his tone allowing no room for protest.

With a sad whimper, Kon unwillingly complied, hopping out of the bag to lie on the ground face up.

Without ceremony, Ginjo raised his foot and drove his heel down on Kon's stomach. The stuffed lion made a gagging sound and a little green pill shot up into the air, straight into Ginjo's hand. Swallowing the pill, he forced his soul out of his body, immediately running off as he instructed the mod soul to return home.

Kon, now in Ginjo's body, dropped to his knees and picked up his stuffed animal body, cuddling it in his arms as he sniffled. "It's OK, me. Nobody appreciates you, but…I still love you."

* * *

The child ran frantically down the deserted neighborhood street with a group of hungry predators in tow. Her body was hurting with scrapes, claw marks, and cuts, but she didn't dare stop running. Eventually, fear caused her to take a misstep, and she tripped over her own feet, crashing to the ground. One look behind her, and she knew it was over. All she could do at this point was curl up, close her eyes, put her hands over her head, and hope that the end wouldn't hurt as much as she thought it would.

However, instead of falling into the grips of razor sharp teeth to be torn to pieces, she was swooped up into the protective hold of something strong. Still shaking with terror, she couldn't quite comprehend what was going on. All she could see was the black fabric she was being held closely against, and she clung to it with her little fists as though her life depended on it, burying her face into it, hoping that the horror would end soon.

With one arm around the rescued child, Ginjo had to make do with just one free hand. While nothing had been able to get past him so far, with this many hollows and him fighting while trying to protect…it was getting to be a bit of a handful. To be precise, it was the 'him fighting while trying to protect' part that was the problem. After all, he was known to be reckless. He didn't even bother protecting _himself_ properly in battle, so having to protect someone else who was so fragile and obviously helpless was a bit of an awkward challenge. It was definitely something he was _not_ used to.

Just as he was beginning to slow down with fatigue, a glowing white arrow came flying from out of nowhere, claiming three hollows with that single shot. Uriya and Himeko had arrived to join the fight.

Agitated, Ginjo turned to face the young Quincy. "Stop cutting in, you bastard! This is _my_ fight!"

"Looks to me like you could use the help," Uriya replied, unperturbed.

"Well, you looked wrong!"

At that moment, a hollow attacked, launching bullet-like projectiles at Ginjo from behind, only to be blocked by Himeko's shield. "Maybe you should save the complaints for later, Gin-chan," she admonished from her position atop a wall that separated someone's yard from the streets.

"It's Ginjo, damn it!" the blue-haired teen shouted, sparing a second to glare up at his sister before slashing through a hollow.

"Later," Uriya reiterated as he fired off another arrow.

Ginjo grumbled. "Are you two tag-teaming me now?!"

Despite his gripes, Ginjo complied and concentrated on the matter at hand. Fighting back to back with Uriya, with Himeko watching over them as well as using Tsubaki from time to time, they had things wrapped up before long.

"That went pretty well!" Himeko exclaimed with a bright smile. As she prepared to leap off the wall to join the others, she somehow managed to trip, falling with a yelp. Lucky for her, Uriya caught her neatly in his arms before her bottom hit the ground. "Thanks, Uriya!" she said, her arms hanging loosely around his neck, another bright smile in place.

The raven-haired boy considered her for a moment. "Hime…you are a member of our school's track team, are you not?" he inquired in typical impassive fashion.

"Yeah," she replied innocently.

"Hurdles is one of your events, correct?"

She nodded. "Mm-hmm."

"Yet, you seem to trip and fall at least once every other night," he pointed out with a soft sigh. "I can't help but think that your falls are more calculated than accidental."

The orange-haired girl tilted her head, studying him curiously. "Are you angry?"

Uriya closed his eyes. "Not particularly. Merely perplexed."

"Hee, hee…" Himeko swung her legs back and forth a few times before holding up a finger. "It's a test!"

"I see," Uriya replied, even though he didn't really see. He had no idea what she was testing, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to find out. "It would seem Himeko is more…devious than Orihime and Akari Hime ever were."

To that, Himeko chuckled lightly. "People change, Uriya."

The boy looked away with a contemplative expression. "Is that so?"

She laughed again in delight. "But don't worry. Not by that much." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and hopped off.

Uriya turned his attention back to Ginjo, only to find the other boy glaring at him.

"I _really_ didn't need to see that," Ginjo deadpanned. "What the heck are you two doing here anyway? Aren't you supposed to be doing…" He paused as he tried to find the right words. When he came up with nothing, he compensated with a shrug and a shake of his head. "…whatever crap couples do?"

"It seems no matter what we do, the evenings tend to end in this manner as of late." Then Uriya remembered something. "Your fighting…it was sloppy, even for you. What's wrong?"

Ginjo scowled. "Well, excuse me for not being able to kick ass properly when my hands are full!"

It wasn't until now that Uriya really paid attention to the bundle Ginjo was holding in his arm. "What is that?"

Moving a layer of ragged cloth out of the way, Ginjo revealed the face of the frightened child. "The hollows…they were after her."

Uriya came closer, Himeko following with curiosity. When he finally got close enough to see the broken mask on top of the girl's head, the young Quincy's brows came together slightly with confusion. "Arrancar?"

* * *

The trio gathered in Ginjo's room, waiting while Nel was in the bath. Uriya leaning against the desk with his hands in his pockets, Ginjo straddling his chair with his folded arms draped over the seat's back, and Himeko sitting comfortably on the bed.

"Were you able to get any information from the child?" Uriya inquired.

Himeko looked up. "Beyond her name? No. Nel-chan didn't seem too comfortable having me in the bathroom with her." To say that the girl was 'not too comfortable' was putting it lightly. When Himeko tried to help her undress, she practically screamed bloody murder:

_"No! No! No! No! No!" the child arrancar protested as she backed herself into a corner of the bathroom and wrapped her arms around herself protectively._

_"Nel-chan, I just need to help you clean up and make sure you're not hurt," Himeko tried to persuade._

_"No!" the girl repeated vehemently. "Nel can't let anyone see!"_

_"I promise I won't hurt you."_

_"No!"_

_Himeko frowned, feeling somewhat helpless. "But why?"_

_Nel faltered at the question, a look of uncertainty in her eyes. "Nel…Nel doesn't know…" she voiced quietly. Why wasn't she allowed to let anyone see her back? And who was it that used to drill that rule into her head? She couldn't recall. "Nel just knows…she's not supposed to…"_

After seeing that lost and confused look on the child's face, Himeko didn't want to push any further. Foregoing the visual check, she healed Nel's cuts and scrapes, drew the bath, and left her alone.

"She knows she's an arrancar and that she's from Hueco Mundo," Himeko said, providing what little information she did manage to get. "But beyond those basics, she doesn't seem to remember anything else. Why she's here, how she got here…all that's a blank. She doesn't even know how to go back or where exactly her home is."

"So, what do we do?" Ginjo asked nobody in particular. "Not like we can just keep her here." Even though the kid was young, she was still a hollow. He probably should have just purified her along with the rest of them and called it a day. But even though he wasn't what one would label as the caring and considerate type, there was something about slashing his zanpakutou through a toddler that just didn't sit well with him. Even Pantera would agree that doing so would leave a bad taste in his mouth.

"But we can't just dump her back in Hueco Mundo," Himeko said. "She's helpless!"

At this point, Nel peeked into the room from the doorway, uncertainty written on her face.

Himeko greeted her with a warm smile. "Nel-chan, are you finished?"

The child nodded timidly.

The orange-haired girl beckoned with a wave of her hand. "Come in. You can sit by me."

As Nel made her way across the room, Uriya watched her with an unreadable expression. However, the girl hadn't even made it half way across the room when a booming voice from behind her made her take cover behind Ginjo's leg.

"How did it go?!" It was Ichigo. He had rushed home as soon as he was able to leave the hospital.

"You talk like I've never done this before," Ginjo said with a hint of irritation. "What do you think? They're just small fries. Nothing I can't handle."

"I'm more concerned about _you_ destroying the town," Ichigo retorted flatly. His son was like a loose canon.

Ginjo frowned. That was definitely the cue for another round of Kurosaki style fistfight. As he stood, he felt something latched onto his leg and belatedly noticed Nel hanging onto him. "Oi. Let go, squirt."

At this point, Ichigo also noticed the arrancar girl and his expression turned to one of surprise. "Ne…Nel?"

Nel's eyes, however, did not reflect recognition as she scooted further behind Ginjo's leg.

The three teens shared a glance before Uriya spoke up. "You know this child, Kurosaki Ichigo?"

Ichigo had to take a moment to absorb the awkwardness that was Ishida Uriya. The boy just showed up one day a few months ago and became an immediate constant in his children's, and therefore his own, lives. Of course, there wasn't anything _terribly_ wrong about that. He could tolerate the boy, as long as he didn't try anything funny with his daughter. But truth be told, Ichigo wasn't really too worried about that…despite the initial "greeting" he had seen the two of them exchange that first day. Uriya seemed like the responsible and respectable type. Ichigo had to admit that, annoying personality aside, Himeko was probably safer with him than anyone else. But despite all that, the way Uriya insisted on addressing him by his full name was just plain…weird. It was the thing that reminded him every time that the boy was in fact Ulquiorra, the former cuarta Espada.

After clearing his head of these thoughts, Ichigo nodded. "Ah. She and her brothers helped us get to Las Noches when we went to Hueco Mundo to save…" He looked to Himeko, and then averted his eyes without finishing. "Anyway…when we came out of Garganta, we were pretty far away from Las Noches. It would have taken us much longer to get there if it weren't for Nel. And we even ran into that giant sand guy who tried to block our way."

"Lunuganga," Uriya corrected.

Ichigo scowled. That was the other trait that always reminded him the boy was Ulquiorra. "Like I said…the giant sand guy."

Ginjo snorted as he sat back into his chair. "Are you telling me that the bunch of you supposedly badass shinigami and vizards needed a _toddler's_ help to get to Las Noches? That's rich."

Ichigo glared but ignored the comment, electing to crouch down and speak with the child instead. "Nel, what happened?" he asked gently. "Where are your brothers?" They had strange names, and he couldn't remember what they were.

Nel simply shook her head, still holding on to Ginjo's leg for security. Brothers? She didn't know what this man was talking about.

"She seems to have lost her memory," Himeko supplied.

"Those hollows earlier were after her," Ginjo threw in.

Ichigo frowned as he studied the scared little girl. Things weren't really making sense, and he was concerned for the child.

* * *

With all the fuss going on, Ginjo had lost sight of Uriya and was currently in the process of trying to find the guy.

His mother had finally returned home and, after giving her the download, the final decision was to let Nel stay with them at least for now. Being the kind of woman that she was, Rukia got excited about making Himeko's closet into Nel's room, saying something about it reminding her of old times. She started digging through old boxes to pull out all kinds of Chappy-related bed sheets and what not that he and his sister had been forced to use back when they were still unsuspecting children. Ginjo knew full well how Rukia could get overly motherly sometimes. Just the thought of her trying to read Nel _her_ particular brand of bedtime stories was enough to make him feel sorry for the poor girl.

Eventually, Ginjo found Uriya standing alone out in their front yard staring into the glowing screen of his cell phone. "Ya taking off?" he asked as he sat on the porch steps.

Uriya flipped his phone shut. "He left me thirty-seven voice messages and forty-three text messages," he said, a slight edge to his trademark impassive tone. "You think he's worried about something?"

Ginjo grinned, knowing exactly who _'he'_ was. "Can't say I'm surprised. Your old man probably thinks you're getting it on with Himeko, especially since you started—"

The ringing of Uriya's phone cut Ginjo off. The young Quincy answered. "Hello… Kurosaki residence… Nothing in particular. Just spending time in Hime's room… Of course, she's here. I wouldn't be sitting on her bed otherwise… Nothing. I am merely sitting. She, however, is undressing. Shall I give you a comprehensive verbal description?"

The raven-haired boy held the phone away from his ear, unperturbed, as the voice on the other end went up a few pitches, followed by a click as the line went dead. Giving his phone a final look, he flipped it shut again and slipped it into his pocket.

Ginjo chuckled as he finished his thought from before. "…since you started doing that." He would never be able to understand how Uriya could say all those things so dryly, without so much as a twitch in his facial muscles, as though he were merely giving a weather report.

With his hands in his pockets, Uriya heaved a small sigh. "I should go before he starts hyperventilating."

Ginjo gave him a questioning look. "If that's how it is, then why keep pulling his leg?" Though he had to admit, it was great entertainment.

"He doesn't seem satisfied when I tell him the truth," Uriya stated simply.

The blue-haired teen quirked a brow. "Riiiiight. And making up random shit's supposed to help?"

"No. That is merely for my own amusement," Uriya replied, dispassionately matter of fact.

Ginjo couldn't help but laugh.

Uriya smirked almost unnoticeably in response before moving on to a more serious subject. "Ginjo. Keep an eye on the girl."

"Why?" the vizard asked with a raised brow. "You think something's going on?"

Uriya paused to give that some thought. Group hunts were rare among hollows, but that seemed to be happening often in recent days. Did that mean anything? "I'm not sure," he finally said, "but her existence is an anomaly."

"Anomaly how?"

"How old does she look to you? Three? Four at the most? In all the years I've spent in Hueco Mundo, I have never seen a hollow that young. The spirit of an innocent child at that age should not have the kind of regrets that would prevent them from passing on, nor the will and strength to resist a shinigami's konsou. Not to mention, she isn't just any hollow, but an arrancar…in perfect human form." There was something else about Nel, but Uriya couldn't put his finger on it. "Whatever the case may be, it would be unwise to simply disregard these things."

Just as he finished speaking, Uriya's phone rang yet again. With closed eyes, he heaved an inward sigh and turned the device off. "I will see you tomorrow."

As Uriya headed down the street, Ginjo mused to himself. "Anomaly, huh?"

* * *

_"Dondochakka!!" she screamed, wide-eyed with horror as a crescent shaped blade planted itself into his abdomen._

_"Pesche! Take Nel and go!" Dondochakka yelled as he held the blade within him with every last ounce of strength he had to offer in hopes of delaying his attacker._

_Pesche faltered. "But—"_

_"There's no time!" Dondochakka pleaded. "Just go!"_

_After another moment of indecision, Pesche swept Nel up into his arms and bolted._

_Though she was unable to see what was going on as they ran, her blood froze when she heard Dondochakka's scream of pain pierce through the otherwise quiet desert night._

_Shortly after, the crescent blade wielder's laughter could be heard. "Oi, Neliel! Don't think that you can get away from me!" The sound of his laughter kept getting closer and closer._

_Then Pesche suddenly came to a halt, intercepted by someone. "You!" he exclaimed. However, with her face held against his chest, Nel was unable to see who it was._

_"I'll hold him off," this person said._

_"But you're no match for him," Pesche replied. "Not anymore."_

_"Let me deal with that. Your task is to get her to safety."_

_Pesche hesitated briefly before taking off again._

_Nel tried to look over his shoulder, but once again could see nothing. She heard the sound of metal clashing and manic laughter. And then…she saw a severed arm along with a spray of blood soaring through the air…_

* * *

Nel woke up, frightened and disoriented. She just had a bad dream, but she couldn't remember what it was about. The only thing that stayed with her was the terrifying feeling.

Her eyes darted around, unable to identify her surroundings. Then she slid open the closet door, revealing Himeko's room on the other side, the orange-haired girl asleep on her bed. The room was dark. It was still the middle of the night.

Memory of recent events began coming back to her. She was in the living world and had been saved from hollows and taken in by this family.

With her body still trembling, Nel jumped out of the closet and slipped silently out of the room. She wandered down the dark hallway, searching, until her legs came to a stop in front of a particular room. She could sense what she was looking for beyond the closed door. Turning the doorknob, she opened the door slightly and peeked in to find Ginjo sleeping on his side, facing the window with his back to her.

She stood there and watched him as she tugged on her sleeves anxiously, debating. Then she entered the room and crawled into the bed and under the covers. It was this protective reiatsu that had shielded her from harm. In its presence, she was able to feel more at ease. With both of her small hands clinging tightly to the fabric on his back, Nel closed her eyes and eventually fell asleep.

* * *

A/N: So…that's chapter one. Please review for moral support? Haha.

Same as last time, the story's already set, so any new conflicting info that Kubo might throw out from here on most likely won't get incorporated. (Crossing my fingers for better luck this round. Haha.) Originally, I had thought about inserting Nel into Searching, because I was already thinking about doing this sequel back then. But if this story didn't work out, then her minor appearance in Searching would have been weird and unnecessary, so instead I decided to leave the 'journey to Las Noches' part relatively blank so I can fill it in later.

I know that child version Nel speaks with a lisp, but I have decided _not_ to type out her dialogue lisp style as it is both annoying to type _and_ read on a recurring basis. And just to reiterate, I prefer the spelling Nnoitora over Nnoitra. So, he's going to be Nnoitora.

I dreamed up this story for Grimm/Ginjo because, as great as the relationship is between him, Ulqui, and Hime, you can't deny he's the odd man out. He's one of my babies, too, and I just couldn't leave him hanging. So, I present to him my personal favorite female Bleach character. See, Grimm? This is how much I love you. Although, he's probably not too happy about it at the moment. Haha!

Thanks for reading! Hope you liked the first chapter! Reviews appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo. I want gummy hollows. Urahara, gimme, gimme, gimme!!

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**Chapter Two:**

The next morning, Ginjo woke up and stared groggily at the ceiling above. He really wasn't a morning person, and he didn't sleep well last night. For some reason, he had a bizarre dream about sleeping on a pile of rocks in shallow waters on a beach. Blinking his eyes a few times, he thought that he must still be halfway in dreamland because, despite being back in his room, he still felt like he was sleeping on a pile of rocks in shallow waters.

Then he heard a muffled voice coming from somewhere under him. "Nel…can't breathe…"

That certainly woke him up. Ginjo's eyes doubled in size as he bolted up, scooting to the foot of the bed with his eyes glued to the green-haired mini person that he knew for a fact should not be there.

Nel sat up and took a deep breath, relieved. Being sandwiched between a bed and someone who weighed many times more than she did wasn't much fun.

"Wh…what the heck are you doing here?!" Ginjo asked, incredulous. Still feeling the dampness on his back, he could see that half his bed was actually wet. "What the hell is that?! It better not be what I think it is!"

Nel touched the bed sheet to investigate. Then she plastered a goofy grin on her face. "Heh…that's just Nel's drool."

Ginjo shivered. It wasn't what he thought it was, but it wasn't much better. "Why are you here? When did you get here?! Who said you could _be_ here?!" His voice grew progressively louder as he spoke.

Nel shrank back at the volume. Her lips quivered as she looked at his angry face with a sad frown.

He froze. _Oh, no…_ "Hey, wait, squirt…don't—"

Too late. Nel burst out into tears, crying loudly. "Waaaaahhhhhhh!!!!! Why are you being so meeeeeeaaaaaan?! Nel didn't do anything!"

"You drooled all over my bed!" he pointed out, none too kindly.

"WAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!" By now, she was standing on the bed, wailing her heart out as though she were standing on a soapbox.

Ginjo closed his eyes, scowling deeply as his eardrums took the abuse. The kid was tiny, but her voice was loud and shrill. She was like…a Chihuahua. And it was giving him a major headache. "SHUT UP!!"

She immediately went silent.

"SIT!"

She plopped her bottom on the bed.

He glared.

She stared back, scared and upset. Her lips were trembling, and he just _knew_ she was about to lose it again. He had to figure out a way to keep her quiet.

"Open your mouth," he said as he went over to the nightstand and rummaged through the first drawer.

Nel was confused by his request.

"Open it," he said, firmly this time.

Though still unsure, she did as she was told, and he tossed something into her mouth. Biting into it experimentally, she asked, "What is it?"

"Chocolate."

As the chocolate melted in her mouth, she smiled, deciding that she liked it. Then opening her mouth wide again, she pointed into it with her finger.

With a roll of his eyes, Ginjo tossed her another.

She smiled happily, the previous incident completely forgotten.

Then came a knock on the door, and Himeko let herself in before giving her brother a chance to answer. "Gin-chan, have you seen—" She spotted Nel and smiled with relief. "There you are." She had been worried when she woke up and found her closet empty. When her eyes fell on the bed, she tilted her head quizzically. "Nel-chan, did you sleep here last night?"

"Mm." Nel nodded, still happy as a clam.

Himeko blinked as an image of her brother rocking Nel to sleep while singing a lullaby and wearing a maid's outfit, complete with an apron, lace, and headpiece, sprang up in her mind. "That's so cute!" she said, more to herself than anyone else, as she laughed lightly.

Ginjo grumbled as he smacked the back of Himeko's head, bringing her back to the here and now with a yelp. She was obviously off in La-La Land again…a place he liked to call Himesville…dreaming up things he was sure he didn't want to know about. Since she was in a league of her own when it came to wild imagination, her fantasy world had certainly earned its own name in his mind.

Then picking up Nel by the back of her collar, he dangled the arrancar child in front of his sister's face. "Take her. I don't want her in here again."

Himeko received the child in her arms. "Aww…but she seems to really like you. Right, Nel-chan?"

Despite having just been manhandled none too gently, Nel nodded.

Ginjo could care less. "If she really wants to stay in here, then get her a litter box and maybe I'll think about it," he said as he stalked past his sister to get to the bathroom. He _really_ needed a shower.

Himeko followed, disapproving frown on her face. "Stop being so insensitive, Gin-chan."

"Stop calling me that, princess!" he said as he slammed the bathroom door behind him.

* * *

The lunch bell rang, and Ginjo thought he had never felt so grateful. That was probably the longest morning in his entire life. Just having to sit in class was already bad enough, but having to sit in class while dealing with an invisible pet that only he could see was many times worse.

Since his parents were both busy people, he and Himeko ended up bringing Nel to school with them. She was tiny and invisible, so Rukia didn't think it would be a problem. And for whatever reason, Nel had insisted on sticking with him instead of Himeko.

Now, if the girl was tiny, invisible, and _INANIMATE_, then Ginjo would agree that it wasn't a problem. However, that wasn't the case. All morning long, she had been scurrying around the classroom with curiosity, tugging on his leg, climbing on his back, looking over his shoulder, and asking him endless questions. It had been excruciatingly difficult for him to endure her annoyance while trying to pretend like she didn't exist since he didn't want to freak anyone out. While it was true that most students were already afraid of him to begin with…which was actually fine by him…having people be afraid of him because they thought he was intimidating and having them fear him because they thought he was a basket case were two _completely_ different things. Nel should probably count herself lucky. Had the classroom been empty, he would have yelled at her and tossed her out the window without remorse.

Now, finally freed by the lunch bell, Ginjo stomped out into the schoolyard, agitated. "Will ya quit following me around, squirt?!"

"But why?" Nel asked, trailing behind him.

"Because!"

"Nel doesn't know where to go," she said sadly.

"Go follow Himeko!"

"But…" The girl cast her eyes downward, tugging on her sleeves, unsure how to explain herself. When she looked up again, she had lost sight of him. Hearing a rustling sound above, she looked up to find that he had climbed up into a tree.

Sitting on a branch and eating his lunch, Ginjo was happy he was able to put at least ten feet between himself and the brat.

Nel tried to climb but realized quickly that it was impossible. So, she changed tactics. "Hey! What are you doing up there?"

"Staying away from you," he replied flatly.

Her brows came together in a frown. "You're mean!"

"Nobody said I was nice to begin with, and that's not about to change!" he said and was proud of it. "So, go bother some other poor bastard!"

Her frown deepened, but she wasn't about to give up. Folding her arms stubbornly with her eyes closed and her nose in the air, she gave her most defiant pout. "No! Nel's a masochist anyway, so it doesn't matter!"

Up in the tree, Ginjo sprayed the soda that he had just sipped into his mouth before coughing a few times. Did he hear her right? No. That wasn't possible. "I don't give a damn! Just leave me the hell alone!"

At the base of the tree, Nel began to cry. "WAAAHHHH!!"

Ginjo closed his eyes with gritted teeth. _Again with the waterworks…_

"You stupid! Impotent! Virgin! Pervert!"

He nearly fell out of the tree that time. No mistaking it. She really did say all those things, never mind that for the most part it made no sense.

Nel continued to wail, eyes closed, mouth wide open, until something dropped into her mouth: another piece of chocolate. As she sucked on it, her crying calmed down to a sniffle, even though she still wore the kicked puppy look on her face.

Ginjo sighed in relief when she finally quieted down. Then, a rock hitting the back of his head made him turn around. He narrowed his eyes at the pair looking up at him from below as he tried to keep his irritation in check.

"What are you two doing?" Himeko asked, seemingly puzzled.

Uriya looked from the child with tear streaked cheeks on the ground up to the muscular male who looked like he had climbed the tree to avoid a monstrous grizzly bear and said, "It might be best if we don't ask."

Just then, Uriya's phone began vibrating in his pocket. Suppressing a sigh, he pulled the offending object out and handed it over to Himeko without even looking at it. "Perhaps you should answer it, Hime."

"Eh?" She wasn't sure what was going on but answered the call anyhow. "Um…hello?... Oh! Hi, Ishida-kun!... Fine. How are you?..." She chuckled lightly. "That's a silly question. It's lunchtime! We're having lunch, of course! I'm so hungry! Can't wait to eat my bread with red bean paste and seaweed sprinkles!... Oh, OK. Hang on a sec." She handed the phone back to its owner.

Uriya was almost reluctant to take it. "Yes?...I thought you might appreciate hearing it from her instead, since you don't seem to believe when I say it…" He closed his eyes with an inaudible sigh. "Tou-san. It's the middle of the school day. I sometimes wonder what's going through your head." He hung up before giving his father the chance to say anything else.

"What's that about?" Himeko inquired, honestly confused.

"Nothing of relevance," Uriya replied simply.

Then Ginjo appeared beside them, dangling Nel in front of his sister in the same manner in which he did it that morning. Slapping his other hand on her shoulder, looking like he was at the end of his rope, he said, "Take her. _Please!_"

Himeko blinked, unable to recall ever seeing her brother looking this strained before. The moment she took the child off his hands, he took off.

Nel squirmed, trying to get loose. "Hey, wait!"

The orange-haired girl smiled kindly. "Nel-chan, why don't you stay with me this afternoon? Gin-chan looks like he could use a break."

The arrancar girl frowned but, without much choice, she nodded reluctantly.

As the two girls conversed, Uriya kept his eyes on Nel, a slight pensive frown on his features.

* * *

It didn't take long after classes resumed for Nel to leave Himeko's classroom and wander the hallways, searching for Ginjo. She couldn't help it. It made her nervous when she couldn't feel his reiatsu nearby.

She combed the halls until, eventually, she sensed him somewhere up ahead. However, before she had time to celebrate, the airspace in front of her ripped open, revealing three hollows on the other side of the inter-dimensional portal.

Without warning, they jumped out at Nel with speed she could not hope to match. One of them snatched her up with her arm clamped between its teeth, and they took off running.

All Nel could do at that moment was scream his name. "Ginjo!"

* * *

The sound of Nel's distressed voice coupled with the fact that he was suddenly sensing hollows _very_ close by made Ginjo bolt up from his seat. "Shit!" He ran out of the classroom, disregarding the teacher who was yelling after him and the students who were giving him strange looks.

As soon as he was outside the school building, he popped a little green pill into his mouth.

As Kon settled into Ginjo's body, he took a quick look at himself and his surroundings to get his bearings. Understanding where he was, his cheeks flushed with a dreamy look as his thoughts turned to high school girls. _Ahh…Michiko-chan…_ "Take your time, Ginjo! I'll be sure to go to class for you!" He turned around and was about to bounce back into the building when Ginjo grabbed his collar and slammed him against the wall.

"Don't you _dare_ walk in there in my place again! You've ruined my reputation enough!" Kon had made a fool out of him on more than one occasion. It was high time he put a stop to it.

"Tsk, tsk. I'm just softening your image for you," Kon explained, his tone patronizing. "At this rate, you'll never find a girl brave and crazy enough to be your girlfriend."

The fact that Ginjo knew Kon was full of shit aside; he could care less about the girlfriend thing. "Just try it," he said, his voice threateningly low, "and I'll glue your paws to your crotch and burn your cotton ass." With that, he took off.

Kon was frowning at the boy's retreating back, thinking what a spoilsport he was, when he spotted a pair of college age girls across the street. _OK, Ginjo. You can have your way this time._

With a decidedly un-Ginjo-like grin on his face, Kon bounced across the street and approached the girls, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "Hello there, my beautiful ladies. How about some company?"

* * *

It didn't take long for Ginjo to catch up, dispose of the hollows, and have Nel safe within his hold again. After all, those hollows were nothing more than ants in his eyes and there were only three of them. Nevertheless, no matter how efficient he had been, it didn't negate the fact that the girl was now bleeding profusely from the deep puncture wounds that ran down the length of her arm. Wincing with pain, she gripped tightly to the fabric of his robes with her good hand as she shed silent tears.

Just as he was thinking that he needed to take her back to his sister, Himeko and Uriya both arrived at the scene.

"I'm so sorry!" Himeko said hurriedly as she rushed over and placed her healing shield over Nel's arm. "I shouldn't have let her out of my sight! I didn't even know when she disappeared!"

Ginjo looked at his panicking sister. "It's all right, princess, it ain't your fault." Actually, it was his. This wouldn't have happened had he put up with Nel's crap and let her stay close. Instead, he let a toddler get into harms way just because he didn't want any hassle. Didn't that make him pathetic? He scowled deeply, frustrated with himself as well as the situation he was now finding himself in.

"There! All done," Himeko announced.

Ginjo plopped himself down, feeling drained. "Why are they after you?!" he asked the arrancar girl as he set her feet on the ground as well, unable to keep his irritation from seeping into his voice.

"Nel doesn't know!" she said, shaking her head, obviously still upset.

"She _is_ an arrancar," Uriya pointed out. "Eating her will surely benefit a hollow. Since she is a helpless child, it makes her an easy target." Although, he had a feeling there was more to it than simply just that.

"Then how did she manage to survive so far?" Himeko wondered out loud.

"She has brothers, correct? That is what Kurosaki Ichigo said."

Himeko huffed a sigh as she thought that for now they should probably return to class…before her teacher decides to send medics into the girls' room to look for her and make sure she didn't fall into the toilet. She stretched a hand out to the little girl. "Come on, Nel-chan. Let's go."

Nel was reluctant, clinging tight to Ginjo.

The blue-haired youth sighed heavily as he swiped a hand down his face. "Just…go. I got it."

Himeko raised a brow. "…are you sure?"

"Yeah," Ginjo replied tiredly as he waved them off.

As the two walked off, Uriya glanced over his shoulder back at Ginjo. He never thought he'd see the day when Ginjo could be made to bend to the will of a mere toddler.

Looking over at Uriya, Himeko detected a glint in his eyes that probably only three people in the entire world, including herself, could read correctly as mischief. "You're not thinking very nice things right now, are you?" she asked with a knowing smile.

The raven-haired boy looked back at her with a small smirk. "Merely wishing for a moment that I could have my old eye back to record the scene behind us for later use. Nothing more."

Himeko laughed lightly, thinking it a shame that both Ginjo and Nel were in their spirit form, otherwise she would have snapped a picture with her phone herself since she thought it was adorable.

Back with the odd pair, Ginjo sighed with exasperation as Nel was still clinging and sniffling. "Will ya quit crying already?"

She wiped her tears with the back of her sleeves then, after taking a deep breath, she looked up at him with a grin. "Chocolate!" she said enthusiastically as she opened her mouth and pointed in with her finger.

"No," he said flatly.

"Why not?" she asked with a disappointed pout.

"Don't feel like it," he replied offhandedly.

She frowned. "Sadist!"

Ginjo scowled with annoyance. "You're a self proclaimed masochist, so why are _you_ complaining?"

Nel ignored that comment. "Cheapskate!"

He grumbled. "Shut up already! I don't have any on me right now!" That was the truth. All food supplies were currently with his physical body.

"Liar!"

Ginjo narrowed his eyes at her. She seemed to be having too much fun with all these one-word exclamations. "I can just leave you here, ya know," he said dryly.

"No!" She threw her arms around his neck like her life depended on it.

Ginjo sighed once again, running a hand through his unruly hair with agitation as he wondered how and why he ended up in this predicament. But whatever the answers may be, it would seem that he had better start getting used to the fact that he was now stuck with an invisible pet whether he liked it or not.

* * *

A/N: Today's discussion topic is "Food and the Afterlife". I have so many questions about this. First off, can spirits eat food from the living world? My gut reaction is no. But then, they are able to touch/move/affect physical objects, so…it makes sense that they should be able to pick up physical food and put it in their mouth, right? But then can they digest it? And if a person w/o spiritual powers sees this happening, would the food simply disappear from sight once it enters the spirit's mouth? Or would the person see floating food bits as the spirit chews and swallows the food? Hmm… Well, I've thought about this actually…way too much. Haha. And as you can see in this chapter, I've decided to go with 'yes, they can'. Heh…

Next question: What all do they eat in Hueco Mundo? Do hollows really just eat souls (pluses, those that are still living, and each other)? If so, then what the heck have they been feeding Orihime? Pure hollow meat diet? But it seems soul consumption doesn't actually require any cooking…yet, they bring her food in this fancy cart that seems to suggest they have a kitchen. PLUS, Aizen's hooked on tea, and he's making his Espada drink it w/ him during meetings, so obviously they can ingest things other than souls. And where the heck is this water for the tea coming from? Should we take it as a sign that there's an oasis somewhere in the desert? Maybe something actually grows somewhere and therefore Orihime hasn't been on a pure meat diet? Hmm… Well, just to prevent my brain from exploding, I'm going to say that yes, they have a variety of food. Not sure what it is, but they got it…and they cook it, too. LOL! Perhaps regular hollows like it raw and juicy while arrancars have acquired a taste for cooked…stuff. Sounds plausible, yeah?

I wonder if Kubo's thought about this as much as I'm thinking about it right now. Wish he'd enlighten me on this. XD

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated! Omake below!

* * *

**Omake:**

A group of students were sitting in the schoolyard, having lunch under the shades of a tree when they suddenly heard someone yelling from somewhere nearby.

"Nobody said I was nice to begin with, and that's not about to change! So, go bother some other poor bastard!"

Looking around, they found Ginjo perched up in a tree, not looking too pleased.

"What's he doing up there?" student A asked quietly.

"Who's he talking to?" student B added, perplexed.

"Who knows," student C said. "Just quit staring, you guys."

Then they heard Ginjo's voice again. "I don't give a damn! Just leave me the hell alone!"

Everyone turned back to face the group.

"He's scary," student A said.

Student C placed a hand on student A's shoulder. "Listen, buddy. You don't question the Blue-Haired Devil," he said with a shake of his head. "You just don't, man. You'll live longer that way."

In the end, it would seem that Ginjo's efforts to not 'freak anyone out' didn't work quite as well as he had hoped.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo. I want ice cream popsicles in the shape of Ichigo's head. The hair would be orange and taste like orange while the face would be white and taste like vanilla. Urahara should hop on this one…

* * *

**Chapter Three:**

Since the moment he got back into his body, Ginjo had been feeling this acute sting on both of his cheeks…a dead giveaway that Kon must have done something moronic again while wearing his skin. It was only fair for him to take some time out in order to invent new ways to 'discipline' the mod soul. That was why, instead of returning to class, he had taken a detour up to the school's roof and was now lying on his back, sunbathing with his hands behind his head.

Nel sat nearby and watched him for a while. Eventually, curiosity got the better of her and she crawled over to look down on his face, blocking the sun. "Aren't you supposed to be inside like everyone else?"

"Yeah," Ginjo replied, unconcerned. "But I don't play by the rules."

Nel sat back on her heels in thought. Not only was he a shinigami, but now he was even saying things like this. She tilted her head slightly. "Are you a bad guy?"

A grin spread across Ginjo's face. "Something like that." He popped a piece of candy into his mouth.

Nel perked up with a big smile, revealing all her missing teeth. Then she opened her mouth and pointed a finger into it.

He scowled. "You're eating up all my stuff, squirt." Despite the complaint, he tossed her one nonetheless.

The girl chuckled happily as she sucked on the candy. She found him to be more than just a bit confusing. The things he'd say and the things he'd do would often times contradict each other. Even though he claimed to be a bad guy, he had already saved her life twice. While he yelled, swore, and said mean things on a near constant basis, he never did anything to hurt her. And whenever he did something nice like give her candy, he would do it with a scowl. Nel couldn't really understand, but somehow she wasn't sure she believed his claim of being a bad guy.

* * *

When Ginjo finally decided to saunter his way back into class with his hands in his pockets and Nel on his back, he was greeted by his furious teacher, Fujimoto, who stood up and slammed his hands on the desk.

"Kurosaki! Detention after school today!"

Ginjo tried not to roll his eyes.

"What's detention?" Nel asked from his shoulder.

Ginjo replied under his breath as he headed back to his seat. "It's where they keep you around even though they don't wanna see your face, just to piss you off. But…" He smirked. "…it won't take long."

* * *

Detention with Fujimoto was, in Ginjo's opinion, the easiest to handle. The man was the loud and authoritative type with low morals, and he had an addiction that made him easy to manipulate. Standing outside the designated classroom, Ginjo checked his shirt pocket to make sure that his bait was in plain sight. "I'll be outta here in five minutes tops."

"I thought he wanted you to be here for a really long time," Nel said, still hitching a ride on his back.

To that, Ginjo grinned. "Watch and learn." After rapping on the door a few times, he entered.

"Kurosaki," Fujimoto said as he looked at the boy standing on the other side of his desk with disdain. "As if it's not bad enough you skip class constantly, you dare to run out in the middle of it?! I don't even want to _know_ where you disappeared to, OK? But let me warn you: you're never going to get anywhere if you keep this up." He shook his head and made a noise that sounded like a condescending snicker. "Like father like son, I guess. He was the same way when he was here."

"And somehow he wound up as one of the top docs in town," Ginjo said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "How'd _that_ happen?" It really wasn't in his nature to speak highly of his old man, but in this case, he'd make an exception.

Fujimoto grumbled. "Don't get smart with me, Kurosaki! Miracles don't happen everyday." That was when he spotted something suspicious. "What's this?" he asked as he got up out of his chair and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of Ginjo's shirt pocket.

"What does it look like?" Ginjo said flatly.

"I can't believe this," the older man said as he slapped the cigarettes onto the desk. "Is there _any_ rule you _haven't_ broken?!"

Ginjo gave a light shrug. "Don't know," he said with a demeanor that was far too carefree. "But if you think of one…let me know, and I'll take care of it."

Fujimoto heaved an exasperated breath, trying not to let his headache swallow him. Continuing to lecture would only be a waste of his time and effort. "You know what? I'm finished talking to you. Just…go sit over there," he said as he pointed to the empty desks.

Ginjo did as he was told. Holding his chin in hand with his elbow propped up on the desk, he waited with watchful eyes.

Fujimoto sat back down, swiveling his chair around to face the window. There wasn't much to look at outside, but anything was better than looking at the boy. However, it didn't take long for him to get tired of the scenery, eyes trailing back into the room to land on the pack of confiscated goods on his desk.

Seeing how the older man's eyes lingered on the small package, Ginjo retrieved a lighter from his pocket and tossed it over to him.

Fujimoto caught the lighter but gave Ginjo a look.

The boy shrugged his shoulders. "Be my guest. I don't care."

The teacher turned his eyes back to the package on the desk as he deliberated. He _did_ have to sit here for a good while, so it would be something to do. Plus, school was out. The students were gone. Nobody would come in. And it was all Ginjo's fault he had to be here anyway.

With his mind made up, he put a cigarette into his mouth and proceeded to light it up. But instead of a small flame, what came out of the lighter was an explosion accompanied by the head of a plastic chicken on a spring. Fujimoto's head dropped to the desk, unconscious.

"Well, that takes care of detention," Ginjo announced as he went over to retrieve his lighter, which was in fact a kiokuchikan. Of course, this wasn't the device's intended use, but exploiting Soul Society technology for personal convenience was what Ginjo was all about.

He picked up the pack of cigarettes and slipped that back into his pocket as well. Even though he'd never smoked a day in his life, he kept it around for occasions such as this. On some level, Ginjo hoped that there won't be any side effects to being overexposed to the kiokuchikan, because he had long since lost count of how many times he'd already used it on Fujimoto.

Nel blinked at the man sprawled on the desk. "Is he dead?"

"Nope," Ginjo replied smugly. "Just knocked out."

"Won't he yell at you again the next time he sees you?"

"Nah. When he wakes up, he won't even remember about detention."

The arrancar girl studied his face analytically. "Hmm…? So, you really _are_ a bad guy."

Ginjo grinned as he strolled leisurely out of the classroom. "Isn't that what I said?"

* * *

When Ginjo got home, he found that Renji had come to pay a visit. That in itself was not uncommon. The red-haired shinigami would often come to the living world, doing assignments that hardly required a captain class shinigami to do as an excuse to come see Rukia more often. However, this time it was different. Walking in to see Renji and his parents sitting at the table with Uriya and his sister hanging off to the side, Ginjo could already sense a certain weight in the atmosphere. "What's going on?"

"Ginjo, why don't you take Nel upstairs?" Ichigo said.

Normally, the blue-haired teen would argue just for the sake of arguing, but this didn't look like one of those times, so he went up to his room to drop Nel off. "Kon!"

The stuffed lion popped out of his drawer. "What?! I was napping!"

"Keep her occupied," Ginjo instructed. Then he turned and pointed a finger at the girl. "And you. Don't leave this room. Got it?" That said, he slipped out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Kon hopped out of his drawer, scratching his head as the two of them blinked at each other, not sure what to do. Both Ginjo and Himeko had grown up, so it wasn't like there were any kiddy toys lying around anymore. After another chin scratching minute, he looked up at the girl. "So…Nel-chan… Do you like picture books?"

* * *

Ginjo took up a spot beside Uriya. "OK, spill," he said, keeping his voice down.

"Soul Society has detected the appearance of an arrancar in the living world and came to investigate," the young Quincy explained simply.

"What, you mean Nel?" Ginjo asked with a quirked brow.

Uriya nodded. "They're now trying to decide what to do with her," he said as he looked over to the three sitting at the table.

Ginjo frowned, not liking the sound of that. Despite the fact that he wanted to get Nel off his back…literally…he wasn't sure having Soul Society take her away was how he wanted it to happen.

"Renji, she's just a kid," Ichigo said, "not a threat. Plus, she helped us out in Hueco Mundo. That's gotta count for something, right?"

Renji sighed, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. "_I_ know that. But I'm not sure how much of Soul Society would look at it the same way. They'd want to know why she's even here in the first place."

"She lost her memories," Rukia said, thinking out loud. "That creates a problem."

"I still think I should bring her back with me," Renji said. "They'd be more likely to understand if they can actually _see_ just how harmless she is for themselves."

"And risk her falling into the hands of that freak of a captain Kurotsuchi?!" Ichigo said, incredulous. "Not happening!"

The shinigami captain winced. In Kurotsuchi's eyes, Nel was probably a rare specimen. He'd take her apart first and explain later…not even apologize. Renji heaved a heavier sigh. "And I'm guessing that sending her back to Hueco Mundo is not an option."

"No," Ichigo said, firm and immediate. S_omething_ definitely happened to Nel. He wasn't going to just blindly let her go when her safety couldn't be guaranteed.

"Yeah, I figured," Renji said, feeling somewhat helpless.

"It's probably not a good idea to take Nel-chan away," Himeko added, trying to be helpful. "As it is, she already gets scared if she's too far away from Gin-chan."

Ginjo grumbled, throwing his sister a glare. "Stop giving unnecessary information!"

"Really…" Renji drawled, turning to Ginjo with a sly grin. It was obvious he had some smart remark ready to fire off.

The young vizard redirected his glare towards the shinigami. "Shut up, Renji. You don't know what you're talking about."

Renji smirked but figured he should probably let it go. He wasn't in the mood for a fight right now anyhow. Turning his attention back to Ichigo and Rukia, he said, "Well, I'll see what I can do. But just so you know…Soul Society will be keeping a close watch."

* * *

As soon as Ginjo stepped into his room, he experienced a jaw-dropping moment.

Kon and Nel were both on the floor with an array of Kon's books and magazines…courtesy of Risa…opened and spread out all over the place.

"What the hell is this?!" Ginjo demanded with disbelief.

Kon looked up at him as though it should have been obvious. "You said to keep her occupied, so I'm keeping her occupied." He thought he was doing a pretty good job, since the child had yet to make a fuss.

Nel was on her stomach with her feet kicking in the air, happily flipping through the pages of a 'picture book'. She smiled up at Ginjo in greeting, the picture of innocence. "Ginjo! Why aren't these people wearing any clothes?" she asked, pointing to the book. "Aren't they cold?"

Ginjo could feel another headache coming on. Was this what they called karma? Was this what he got for raising all kinds of hell and being a little shit in general when he was a kid? He grabbed the back of Nel's collar and tossed her onto his bed where it was picture book free. "Stay there!"

Then he fixed Kon with a murderous scowl before kicking him across the room like a soccer ball. "Kon, you perverted moron! You don't show this kind of shit to kids! Get this crap out of my sight before I Cero them all to hell!!"

That was all the warning Kon needed. Worried that he might lose his precious collection, he sprang into action immediately with the clean up.

Out in the hallway, Ichigo's voice could be heard. "Oi, Ginjo! What the heck are you yelling about?"

Ginjo kicked the door shut and placed his back against it. "Nothing!" Sliding to the floor, he hit the back of his head against the door, heaving a tired sigh. This day was getting far too long.

* * *

"Damn that Mashiro," Kensei muttered under his breath. "Always blowing up the frickin' kitchen!"

Walking under the evening sky, the vizard was currently on an errand to go buy takeout for the gang. Obviously, he was not in the best of moods. It would have made sense to send Mashiro off to do the job since she was the reason they had to buy dinner in the first place. But since that woman had no grasp on common sense and was liable to come back with cookies as appetizers, cans of tuna as the main course, and sticks of butter as dessert, they never trusted her with the task. Still, he didn't understand why _he_ always ended up being the one to go and by himself, no less.

Consumed with his muttered curses, Kensei had stepped over a splotch of red on the pavement without registering what it was. Seven paces later, he stopped, blinked, turned around, and went back to take a second look.

It was blood, and there was a trail. Fresh.

Following it, he was led into an alley where he found a lone figure sitting slumped against a wall. He approached with caution, all the while wondering if the person was even still alive. When he got close enough to see who it was, his eyes widened.

* * *

_She was lying on a cold metal table with her neck, wrists, and ankles cuffed tightly to its surface, immobilizing her. A bright light shining into her eyes made her squint._

_Then a man with pink hair and glasses came into her field of vision. Looking down at her with a sadistic smile on his lips, he held up a strange looking tool in each hand._

_She panicked and struggled to get free, but it was futile._

_"Relax, Neliel," he drawled softly, the smile never leaving his lips. "This won't hurt one bit."_

_He lied._

_The pain was excruciating._

_She screamed._

* * *

Nel bolted up, drenched in cold sweat as she breathed heavily. She had another dream but, once again, was unable to recall anything beyond the feeling of insurmountable fear. Sliding open the closet door, she hopped to the floor and slipped out of Himeko's room in search of that protective reiatsu.

* * *

After giving his report and presenting his case to Yamamoto, Renji stood at attention as he waited for a decision to be made. He just hoped that the old man won't be able to see through his nervousness. After all, he hadn't been entirely truthful. It wasn't that he lied or anything. He simply withheld certain information…namely the part about Nel being attacked by hollows. Otherwise, Nel may be seen as someone who attracted hollows to the living world, in which case it would be highly unlikely for them to get a favorable outcome.

Renji frowned. _Ichigo better appreciate this…_

"Very well," Yamamoto finally said after a drawn out period of deliberation. "Under the circumstances, I will allow the child arrancar you call Nel to remain in the living world under the supervision of Kurosaki Ichigo for the time being."

"Yes, sir," Renji said as he bowed slightly, feeling relieved.

"However," Yamamoto continued, "there is another task I need you to perform in regards to this matter, Abarai taichou."

Renji looked up, wondering what it could be.

* * *

There he stood, still and expressionless, in the quiet aftermath of chaos.

Nnoitora was the only one left standing after yet another gruesome battle, and lying at his feet were bodies of the arrancars he had just disposed of. It was dull fighting battles he knew he would win, and it was the same thing every time.

Somewhere along the way, mindless slaughtering had somehow lost its flavor. He couldn't remember the last time this activity had given him an adrenaline rush. There wasn't even enough satisfaction for him to sneer at the corpses of his fallen victims.

Slowly, he began to make his way across the barren wasteland with no particular destination in mind, dragging his blood soaked zanpakutou through the sand behind him.

It truly was lonely at the top…

* * *

A/N: Just like how he has his own strange code of honor, Ginjo also seems to have a weird sense of what is and isn't appropriate for children. He has no problems swearing up a storm in front of Nel, but apparently, nude pics are a no no. LOL!

The vizards' kitchen…I wanted to explain this in Glimpses but couldn't find a good place for it without sounding like I was droning on some minute detail that was straying from what was going on in the chapters. All the living quarters above their shops only have small kitchenettes with things like a sink, fridge, microwave, some cabinets and counters. The main kitchen, which they all share, is actually inside and is a part of Mashiro's bakery. It just made more sense to them to add one or two more appliances to the bakery than to have four separate kitchens since they essentially lived together even though they took up four buildings. Of course, that was a decision made without factoring in Mashiro's personality and capabilities (or lack thereof).

See what I mean? This is like…too much information, and it's hard to make it flow well in the story. Haha.

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo. I own a little Ulquiorra figurine, complete with fluttering coattails. But there's a crack in the coattail, and I'm so worried it's going to fall off!!! DX

* * *

**Chapter Four:**

It had been over two weeks since Nel appeared. By now, Ginjo was beginning to grow accustomed to the extra attachment. Going to bed alone and waking up with a kid stuck to his back and two gallons' worth of drool in the bed. Devoting half of his sweets and food supplies in general to the efforts of stopping the Chihuahua style yelping and crying whenever necessary. Having an invisible pet clinging to and bugging him in class, though she had calmed down and become much more tolerable over time. And, of course, there was the random name calling with interesting use of vocabulary sprinkled in between. The only good thing about this situation was that Nel was like a hollow magnet. Hollow attacks were nearly a daily event…the one thing Ginjo actually looked forward to.

Yes, Ginjo was getting used to it. He wasn't constantly high strung and agitated anymore. That, however, didn't mean he was any happier about it all. He had, after all, for god-knows-what reason been singled out by this kid to be her security blanket. How much more uncool could it be? No longer Grimmjow the sexta Espada, not Ginjo the vizard, not even Ginjo the shinigami, he was Ginjo the security frickin' blanket…just what he had always wanted in life. The only thing saving him from being the laughing stock of the living world was her invisibility.

He had noticed pretty early on that Nel had nightmares in her sleep, because she would whimper and toss every now and then. However, they were never bothersome enough to wake him up fully…until now. As usual, the girl had found her way into his bed sometime during the night and was currently thrashing.

Definition of thrashing: kicking the tar out of his backbone.

Fed up, he turned around grumpily and tried to restrain her flailing limbs. The girl was actually in tears as she kept whispering something repeatedly. It didn't take long for him to realize that the restraining method wasn't working at all. Not sure how else to make her stop, Ginjo raked a hand through his hair as he reminded himself that killing her was not an option, no matter how tempting the idea may seem at the moment.

If he tried to put a piece of chocolate into her mouth now, she'd probably choke to death, so that was a no go. And unfortunately for him, that was the only trick he knew. He wasn't really built to handle children. Tired and frustrated, he put an arm around her and pulled her closer to himself. "Shut up so I can sleep, damn it." Though his words were harsh, his tone didn't carry quite the same harshness.

Eventually, Nel calmed down, falling back into deep sleep as she curled up with a fistful of his shirt in each of her hands.

"If you drool on my chest, I swear I'll skin you alive in the morning," he mumbled, about to drift back into sleep himself. "…or get you neutered…"

* * *

The next morning, Himeko sat on the kitchen counter and watched as her brother stood in front of the fridge with noticeable bags under his eyes, downing three times the usual amount of his soda intake. It was probably a good thing that it was Sunday, because he would most likely sleep through all of his classes if they had to go to school today. "Gin-chan, drinking that much will give you a stomachache," she admonished with a small pout. "Especially this early in the morning. You should eat healthier."

Ginjo just gave her a dull look. "_You_, princess, are definitely _not_ the authority on healthy eating."

In the meantime, Uriya, who was in silent agreement with Ginjo, was sitting at the table trying to devise a method to make the very unique breakfast that Himeko had prepared for him disappear to somewhere other than his stomach.

"The squirt was keeping me up with her sleep talking," Ginjo explained, still feeling irritable as he grabbed another soda from the fridge.

"Awww…" Himeko said as she went into fantasy mode, imagining baby babbles.

"She was having nightmares," he clarified flatly.

She blinked, her fantasies cut short. "Oh."

"Kept calling out some names," he continued, taking a swig from his drink. "Pesche…and Do-Do-something or other."

Uriya's eyes widened fractionally in recognition as he stood up, internally grateful for the distraction from the food. "Pesche Guatiche and Dondochakka Bilstin." _That_ was why Nel seemed familiar to him somehow.

The raven-haired youth turned his piercing green eyes to Nel who was on the floor practicing how to draw Chappy the Rabbit the way Rukia had taught her. Was it possible? It seemed ludicrous, but at the same time…with the physical resemblance…he was surprised he didn't make the connection sooner.

The Kurosaki siblings exchanged a glance.

"You know who they are?" Ginjo asked.

"You should as well," Uriya replied, though he supposed Grimmjow Jeagerjaques probably never paid much attention to the fraccions that walked the halls of Las Noches. He went over to Nel, getting down on one knee behind her as the other two teens gathered around. When he tried to pull up the back of the child's shirt, however, she scrambled out of his reach at top speed.

"What're you doing?" Nel asked with a frown, hugging herself.

"Nel. Show me your back," Uriya said, composed and undeterred.

"No!"

"I won't touch you. Just show me your back."

"I can't!" She fidgeted with uncertainty. "I'm not…supposed to…"

Uriya narrowed his eyes. Now he was certain that he was right. He reached out and caught her upper arm before she could make another escape and pulled her in as she desperately tried to run in the other direction. Trying to ignore her struggles and ongoing screams of 'Uriya's a pervert!', he lifted up the back of her shirt, revealing the number three tattooed on her back.

Ginjo gawked in disbelief. "This can't…how…?...she's…?!!"

Himeko gasped. An arrancar with a number tattooed on her body… "Is she…an Espada?!"

Nel looked over her shoulder worriedly at the commotion going on behind her. "Hey, what's going on?"

"The former tercera Espada was Neliel Tu Oderschvank," Uriya explained. "One day she simply vanished. No one knew what happened to her. Pesche and Dondochakka are the names of her fraccions. I believe Nel is in fact the missing Neliel."

Himeko, understandably, was confused. "You mean…Aizen made a toddler his third most powerful warrior?" Her mind immediately dove into Himesville, conjuring up images of the fearless Aizen ordering little Nel to do battle with the promise of candy as a reward…followed by images of Nel on the battlefield, her release form granting her the ability to throw pacifiers at her opponents, putting them to sleep as she charged through enemy lines. Himeko shook her head to wake herself up before her mind could have a field day with that one.

"No," Uriya replied. "I don't know how she reverted to the form of a child, but Neliel is a full grown woman."

"That's insane!" Ginjo said, obviously still in denial. "It can't be her!"

Uriya considered their situation for a moment. "Hime. Are you able to return Neliel to her true form? Then we would know for sure, and perhaps we would be able to find some answers."

The orange-haired girl felt somewhat hesitant. "I…I don't know. I can try, but…if she's an Espada, then…will she…?"

"Neliel is a pacifist by nature," Uriya said. "It is unlikely that she will do anything rash. If she does…there are three of us here."

"I still think you're crazy," Ginjo reiterated. "She just…can't be!"

Just as Himeko was about to call on her powers, Uriya reached out and took hold of her hand, halting her. "I imagine this rejection could take a fair amount of spiritual energy. If you can't, then…"

She gave him a warm smile as a twinge of age-old guilt came back to the surface, knowing exactly what was going through his mind. "I won't overdo it."

Ginjo looked from one to the other, their eye-locking moment dragging on just a bit too long for his tastes. "Think you can snap out of it before this lovey-dovey crap I'm seeing gets burned into my retina?" he requested dryly, causing his sister to pout with a light blush.

"I'm surprised you know what a retina is," Uriya returned, unperturbed.

"My old man and _his_ old man are both docs," Ginjo deadpanned, feeling just a bit indignant. Weird medical terminology often got thrown around in the Kurosaki household, and Ginjo knew more about body parts than he really cared to. This particular term he actually learned from his grandfather's "Kurosaki Retina Jab" maneuver, a move Isshin often liked to use to try to jab Ichigo's eyes with his toes while performing a flying kick.

When Himeko's Rikka came to life and circled around Nel, the child scrambled onto Ginjo's lap, not sure what to expect. Even though she'd seen them before, this was the first time they were trying to trap her entire body within their shield. And to add to the confusion, she wasn't even hurt.

"It's all right, Nel-chan," Himeko assured as her shield came down over the arrancar girl as well as her brother. "Ayame and Shunou won't hurt you."

"Hey, don't reject me by accident!" Ginjo hollered.

It didn't take long before Nel's form began to change. Her body grew. Her hair lengthened. Even the scar that ran from her forehead down the bridge of her nose eventually faded to nothingness as her zanpakutou materialized beside her.

Before he knew it, Ginjo found himself with a scantily clothed full grown woman sitting on his lap. His eyes went wide as his mouth gaped like a fish out of water.

Nel looked down at herself, stunned. "Wh…what happened?" Her hands reached up to touch her strangely long hair. Then she held her arms out in front of her, studying her hands as she turned them over, amazed.

At this point, Ginjo finally found his voice. "N…Ne…Neliel?!!"

She turned and looked at him. Leaning slightly away from him, her eyes took in his form for a thoughtful moment as she realized that their size difference had all but disappeared. Then flashing a bright innocent smile, she threw her arms around his neck. "Ginjo! You're so much easier to hug now!" she exclaimed with joyous laughter.

Her momentum nearly knocked them both over, and Ginjo had to place both hands on the floor behind him to brace from falling. "Hey! Let go, damn it!"

Himeko blinked as she watched Nel. The arrancar girl definitely wasn't what she had expected an Espada to be like, and she had met more than her fair share. "So…this is the former third?" she asked as she turned to Uriya.

The young Quincy nodded as he heaved an inward sigh. He had been right about her but, from the looks of it, her memory still hadn't returned. Not to mention, her reiatsu just did a major jump. This could mean trouble.

* * *

Nel sat on the roof and stared out into the night as she contemplated on her situation. It was strange to say the least. Just this morning, she was no more than a toddler. Now she was a woman, and her knowledge and understanding had expanded, changing from that of a child's to that of an adult's. Yet, everything about herself was still a complete blank.

After Uriya showed her how to rein in her reiatsu and insisted that she did so, she had spent a good part of the day listening to him and Ginjo tell her about what was supposedly her past. However, nothing really rang a bell.

Then when Ichigo came home, they briefed him on what happened. When the initial shock finally wore off, the man became concerned:

_"Nel…don't go anywhere on your own if you can avoid it. Soul Society will most likely come to investigate the reiatsu fluctuation that happened when you transformed. And no matter what, make sure __**nobody**__ sees the tattoo on your back. It'll be trouble if anyone finds out you were an Espada. Be careful."_

Nel sighed. _…they're really nice people…_ To not let anyone see her back…someone used to tell her that all the time. She just couldn't remember who.

It seemed unbelievable that she had been a member of the Espada. Then again, there _was_ the rather large number three on her back, which she didn't know how to otherwise explain. If she had been third, then she must have been a formidable warrior at one time.

Her eyes traveled to the zanpakutou sitting beside her. She couldn't remember how to use that power.

Her senses, however, did seem to be more alert, and she was more aware of her surroundings and the spiritual energy around her. Even when she was still in child form, she would get the feeling from time to time that she was being watched. But now…she was almost certain of it. Out there somewhere, someone was watching her from the shadows.

It was all very unnerving, and she didn't understand why any of this was happening to her. She felt lost, unsure as to how she should proceed.

Approaching Nel from behind, Ginjo stood and watched her for a moment, his expression unreadable. At least she was more covered now. Once her reiatsu stabilized after the initial jump, the material hugging her body mended itself, adapting to her change in size even though it was still extremely short. At the time of her transformation, she still had the mentality of a child. However, throughout the course of the day, her mind slowly caught up and acclimated to being an adult, changing her into the contemplative woman sitting before him now.

Ginjo found it hard to compare her with the noisy brat that had pretty much fastened herself to him the past couple of weeks. It was a bit awkward, especially since she turned out to be someone he used to know, even if not very well. "Remember anything, yet?"

Nel turned at the sound of his voice then shook her head slowly with downcast eyes and a frown on her lips. "I'm not really sure what to do, but…I think I should leave."

Ginjo snorted as he sat beside her. "And go where? Hueco Mundo? How are you gonna get there?"

Those words made her deflate even more. She had forgotten how to summon Garganta. Even if she hadn't, she wouldn't know where to go once she returned to her world. "But…I don't belong here."

He scowled, somewhat agitated at her dark mood. "Damn it, what's with the lost pup look? Nobody's saying you gotta leave."

"I've imposed upon your family enough as it is," she explained. "Last thing I want is for you to get into any sort of trouble with Soul Society because of me."

He couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Didn't I already say I don't like playing by the rules? I think we should piss Soul Society off more often, just for kicks."

Not really convinced by that statement of pure irresponsibility, Nel continued to brood.

Seeing that expression on her face only served to irritate Ginjo even more. He cupped a hand roughly around her chin, catching her by surprise, and pinched until her mouth opened. Then with his other hand, he shoved a piece of chocolate into her mouth.

She blinked. Then she started to laugh lightly at his bizarre attempt to cheer her up. It was obvious that this guy didn't know the first thing about women, or children. Most would probably not appreciate it, but…she was beginning to understand how he operated. Whether he knew and acknowledged it or not, in his unpolished way, he _was_ trying.

Then, realizing how quickly and easily he was able to change her mood, she changed her expression back into a frown, pouting slightly. "I'm not a child anymore."

Ginjo shrugged as a smug grin spread across his features. "It still seems to do the trick," he said, eliciting another chuckle from her. Then he steered the conversation back to more important things. "You should stay put at least until you remember how you landed here in the first place. Shit like this doesn't just happen." It would be dangerous for her to wander on her own, defenseless, without knowing her own situation. "Besides," he continued, "I'm sure my old man would send out a search party…basically everyone in this house…as soon as you disappear. Then you'd _really_ be giving me trouble."

Nel gave that some consideration. But there was something else she couldn't figure out. "How do you know so much about me?" Ginjo and Uriya weren't hollows. How did they know so much about Hueco Mundo and Las Noches?

He mulled over that for a moment as he leaned back on his hands and looked out to the sky. "…I was there." That was all he said.

She didn't really understand. "Were we well acquainted?"

"No. Not particularly." Back then, all he ever thought about was getting stronger and kicking Ulquiorra's ass. He barely even noticed her. And he was such a bloodthirsty bastard, she had probably kept her distance because of it. Simply put, they weren't of the same kind.

As he stared off in thought, she watched him while sorting through thoughts of her own. He had taken care of her and protected her, allowing such a young and dependant child to cling so close despite his rough personality. For him, it must have been difficult. She truly was grateful. "Thank you, Ginjo. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

He spared her a sideward glance before turning his gaze back into the distance. "If you really wanna thank me," he drawled, "then do me a huge favor and _don't_ jump into my bed tonight." He felt like he hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in ages.

Nel blinked her sincere eyes. "Why? You won't do anything, will you?"

Ginjo faltered for a moment, blinking back at her. She said it so innocently, he couldn't tell if she was for real or trying to mess with him. He scowled. "Actually, I'm worried that _you_ might do something."

She tilted her head questioningly. "Like what?"

"Like drool five times more than before," he deadpanned. "I don't wanna find myself swimming in your spit when I wake up."

She turned away with a slightly embarrassed frown. "I said I'm not a child anymore."

He grinned. "The way you're acting right now? Coulda fooled me."

Nel turned back to him, still frowning. Then she opened her mouth and pointed inside, silently demanding chocolate as an apology.

Ginjo snorted. "What was that just now about you not being a child anymore?" he asked as he tossed a piece into her mouth.

She ignored the comment, turning to face front again with her eyes closed and her nose in the air. But before long, a soft smile graced her lips.

Was it the effects of having been reverted to a toddler for what must have been over three decades by now, or had her personality always been somewhat childlike? Ginjo had no idea. However, he would be lying if he said he didn't find it just a bit amusing.

* * *

In the room below, lying in bed beside her opened window, Himeko heard Ginjo and Nel's conversation and tried to stifle her laughter. Her brother really wasn't someone with the right to say that someone _else_ was behaving childish. After all, he was like a big kid himself in many ways.

Nevertheless, this was the first time Ginjo seemed to be taking an interest in the opposite sex…as unromantic as he was. Of course, it didn't help that he tended to scare most girls half out of their wits even without doing anything. His appearance coupled with his presence that screamed 'my hobby is to beat up unsuspecting bystanders' and 'I like the sound of bones crushing under my bare hands' was enough to intimidate anybody. It was surprising that Nel didn't seem to be affected by his gruff nature at all. And for that, Himeko was glad.

* * *

A/N: Finally got past the first stage. Heh…

Nel's clothes…I actually rather like the ripped up look myself, but I think the other characters…namely Ichigo…will probably have a cow if she always looked like that, so I had it fix itself. You know how Ichigo's shinigami robes will get all torn up after a fight, then he'd go back into his body and heal, and the next time he leaves his body his shinigami robes will be crisp as new again? It sort of follows _that_ logic. Good health = nice clothes. LOL!

So, here's a random question. Does anyone else find adult Nel's voice awkward? It took me a good while to get used to it (and by then, her part in the anime had ended. LOL!).

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo. I own a figurine of Rukia with a twirling Sode no Shirayuki…but she keeps leaning forward and won't stand up properly. It's pissing me off!!

* * *

**Chapter Five:**

The next morning, Ginjo opened his eyes with the urge to bang his head against the wall. _Why am I __**not**__ surprised?_

He turned around to face the other occupant of his bed. She was sleeping on her side, facing him, with a small but peaceful smile on her lips. "Hey, squirt," he said, somewhat disgruntled.

"Hm?" Nel replied softly with her eyes still closed.

"What did I say about not sleeping here?"

She blinked her eyes open as she tried to clear the fogginess of sleep from her mind. "I don't fit in Himeko's closet anymore," she said simply, unaffected by the frown of displeasure that was but mere inches from her face.

"Not my problem," he stated immediately.

"But I like it here," she explained, plain and unabashed.

Ginjo stifled a grumble. _Again with the innocent thing…_ He couldn't tell if she was being serious or not. Either way, whether she liked it or not wasn't even the point. "Look. This here is what they call a single person's bed. Now that you're not so squirt-ish anymore, you're taking up space." He looked pointedly down at her breasts then back up to her eyes. "Lots of it."

She put on a thoughtful expression. "Mmm…I'm not drooling anymore," she said, trying to point out the positive, the insinuation from his previous statement either completely lost on her or completely ignored.

"Believe me, I appreciate the upgrade, but—"

Ginjo was cut off as his door swung open with a bang and Ichigo barged in. The man took a look at the pair in the bed, closed his eyes with a deeper than usual scowl, and swore under his breath. "Damn it! I knew it!" Why hadn't this occurred to him until he woke up this morning? Nel had been sleeping in Ginjo's room _every night_ since she got here! "Ginjo! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

The boy bolted up immediately, matching his father's temper. "I ain't doing anything!"

"It was fine for Nel to be here when she was just a kid and all," Ichigo continued. "But now…it's a completely different story!"

"If you would have _listened_ to what I was saying to her, you would have heard me trying to kick her out!" Ginjo defended. "_She's_ the one who keeps coming in here in the middle of the night!"

Ichigo looked at Nel who was still lying in the bed but facing him now. She flashed him a bright smile and waved. "Good morning, Ichigo!"

The orange-haired man swiped a hand down his face, slumping his shoulders with a helpless sigh.

At this point, Rukia spoke up from the doorway. "What are you two yelling about?"

"Rukia," Ichigo said, turning to her for assistance. "Tell them they can't sleep in the same bed!"

The petite woman looked into the room, unconcerned. "I don't know what you're so worried about, Ichigo," she said with a sigh. "He's an even later bloomer than you were."

Father and son both turned to her with mortification, speaking in unison. "I AM **NOT** A LATE BLOOMER!!!"

Ichigo immediately whipped back around to face Ginjo. "A-ha! See?! So, then you admit you were doing something!"

Ginjo jumped off the bed, getting into Ichigo's face. "I'm not admitting anything, you stupid old man!"

Rukia rolled her eyes as she raised her voice to compete with her boys' yelling. "Nel? Want to come help me with breakfast? These two are about to get into their morning exercise routine."

The green-haired girl beamed at the idea and nodded. She was starting to get hungry. Slipping out of bed, she followed Rukia downstairs just as the rumbling began in Ginjo's room.

* * *

Ginjo wasn't sure what made him think that things would be different now that Nel had returned to her true form. She was still sleeping in his bed, and she still followed him to class. Only now, when she sat on the desk behind him and leaned her elbow on his shoulder to see what he was doing, she weighed a crap load more than she did before. It was fortunate that the desk behind him was empty. Otherwise, there would have been other issues.

The fact that he was currently in the middle of a math exam certainly didn't help matters any. Ginjo couldn't do math to save his life. As if it wasn't bad enough when math only involved numbers….what the heck was with all these X's, Y's, and Z's?! Letters of the alphabet had absolutely no business being in math equations. And with the extra distraction literally weighing down on him, he was going to fail for sure.

Truthfully, failing math didn't bother him. The subject didn't have any real life applications for him anyway. Not like he was ever going to calculate the angle at which a hollow would be attacking him from before slicing it in half. Nor would he bother trying to figure out how much distance per millisecond his shunpo could do. Nevertheless, failing would mean that he would have to take a retest, which would mean that he would have to sit through this hell again, which wasn't his idea of a good time. Not to mention, he would have to go through another one of his sister's nagging sessions…also not his idea of a good time. So basically, failing would suck.

As Ginjo was grumbling in thought, a hand clawing through his hair with frustration, Nel's arm came down over his shoulder and pointed to something on the page. "That answer is incorrect. X doesn't equal six. It equals seventy-four. You're pretty far off."

"What?" he said under his breath, a bit indignant but mostly surprised.

She pointed to another. "This one is wrong as well. The correct answer should be thirty-two Y."

He gave her a quick disbelieving glance, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. "How do you know all this shit?"

Nel blinked at him with a slight tilt of her head. "How do you _not_ know this shit?" she retorted with a straight face, using his term.

Ginjo nearly laughed out loud. The way she said that, so guileless and with zero malice, was almost on the same level of hilarity as Uriya asking his father 'shall I give you a comprehensive verbal description?' with no intonation. This must be that karma thing again. He looked out for her, and now he was getting his return. That must be it.

He changed the answers then used his finger to beckon her. When she leaned closer, he pointed to the next question. "What's this one?"

Nel looked at him with a small smirk. "You really _are_ a bad guy."

Ginjo grinned. "And I'm granting you the distinct honor of being my accomplice."

She chuckled lightly with a shake of her head. "Fine. I'll _guide_ you through it." She wasn't going to just give him the answers.

"Works for me," he whispered with a shrug of nonchalance. Guidance would lead to correct answers and, in the end, _that_ was what mattered. As Nel helped him through the rest of the exam, Ginjo began to think that perhaps this wasn't turning out to be such a bad deal after all.

* * *

"Uriya," Himeko began as she tapped a finger on her chin in thought. "Did Gin-chan ever have a girlfriend? You know…when he was Genji?"

"No."

Himeko raised her brows. _That was fast._ "You don't even have to think about it?"

Uriya placed his hands in his pockets. "For as long as Genji lived, his mind was occupied with two things, and two things only: fighting and eating."

Himeko looked over to Ginjo who was standing about twenty feet away, buying a crepe from a street vendor. "Hmm…" she said with a twist of her lips. "Looks like he's being pretty consistent about that."

They were currently at a park. As it was on the way home from school, they would often make a stop here, not because they wanted to walk around the park or anything, but because Ginjo liked to buy food from the various vendors. Last time, it was takoyaki. This time, it was crepes. Net time, it would probably be ice cream…or soft pretzels…or hotdogs. Basically, Ginjo was a regular, and the vendors pretty much knew him by name. The scowl and blue hair had stopped scaring them ages ago.

"Here ya go," the crepe vendor said, handing his freshly made masterpiece over. "Strawberry crepe with extra strawberries."

After paying the vendor, Ginjo turned around and walked right into Nel who had been standing directly behind him in wait. Wasting no time, she leaned forward and bit into the crepe he was holding in his hand, finally getting a taste of the treat that had been eluding her for so long. "Mmm…" she said with delight. "This is so good!" She took another bite, one hand holding onto his to keep it steady, the other one holding her long green locks out of the way.

Ginjo was only stunned for a moment before he began to fume. "Hey! Get your own!"

"I can't," she said distractedly through a mouthful of strawberries. "He can't see me." She bit into the crepe once more.

"Then you could have just asked!"

"No. I _can't_," she stressed, this time looking up at him with accusing eyes. "Because _you're_ a sadistic cheapskate."

Ginjo looked away, suddenly remembering all the times when she _did_ ask and he had refused. She was still a squirt then and his size and strength had won out, easily keeping various things out of her reach. Thinking back, he wasn't sure why he had done it. It would have been smarter and easier to just let her have the food, especially since he would always end up walking the rest of the way home while being called a stingy, perverted, gluttonous, impotent, cheapskate of a virgin…or some variation of it. But on the other hand, teasing her had been almost addicting. The way he saw it, it was only fair that he at least got _some_ enjoyment out of having to babysit her practically twenty-four seven, wasn't it?

Grumbling, Ginjo shoved the half-eaten crepe into Nel's hands and turned back around. "I need another one."

The vendor, who had only heard Ginjo's half of the conversation, wasn't sure what was going on, but he did notice that the boy's crepe was already gone. "That's some fast eating there."

"A stray dog took it," the boy said flatly.

The vendor blinked, his eyes scanning the area with confusion. "I didn't see…"

"It was a Chihuahua," Ginjo grumbled. "You probably missed it."

The vendor quirked a brow, wondering what kind of aggressive puppy could actually succeed in wrestling something away from this guy.

In the meantime, said Chihuahua was happily munching on her crepe, unconcerned and not offended in the least.

Himeko continued to observe. "Well…I think Gin-chan might be adding Nel-chan to his list of favorite things," she said thoughtfully before chuckling lightly. "Doesn't it look like they're having a lot of fun?!"

Uriya eyed the pair in question but kept his thoughts to himself.

Then came a sudden outburst from above. "WHAT?! YOU MEAN THAT WOMAN OVER THERE WITH MATSUMOTO'S FIGURE IS NEL?!! What have you been _feeding_ her?!!"

Uriya and Himeko turned just in time to see Renji jumping down from the lamppost he had been standing on, his eyes on Nel. Once the initial shock wore off, his expression grew solemn.

Ginjo, who was on his way to regroup with the other two, caught sight of Renji and the way his eyes were trained on the arrancar girl. Coming to a halt, he briefly held up a loose hand as a subtle indication to Nel that she should stop as well and stay behind him. "What're you doing here, Renji?" he asked, his tone serious.

The red-haired shinigami looked to Ginjo then back to Nel before heaving a sigh. "I think you know. I have business with Nel."

* * *

Staying close to Ginjo as they relocated to a more secluded and quiet area of the park surrounded by trees, Nel studied Renji. She recognized him as the man she had seen briefly once in Ichigo's house when she first came to the living world. Everyone had looked serious then, and she had been shooed off. Now she realized that Renji must have come because of her then, and he was back again for her now. She also understood that the white haori he was wearing with the character for 'five' on the back meant that he was a captain. This wasn't just anybody.

By now, Uriya had finished explaining the half-truth of what had happened to Nel, carefully omitting information about her being a former Espada. It wasn't that Renji couldn't be trusted, but the man was a captain and had obligations to Soul Society. It was best that he didn't know.

Renji's face twisted as he tried to wrap his mind around the unbelievable story of how the girl simply _grew_ during a rejection process. Nevertheless, how and why it happened wasn't nearly as important as the fact that it _did_ happen. "I see," he finally uttered, glad he had the foresight to handle this job himself instead of letting his subordinates take over.

The shinigami captain scratched his head with a sigh before launching into the explanation of his situation. "The reason why the soutaichou had given permission for Nel to remain in the living world was more due to the fact that she's a helpless child with barely any reiatsu to speak of than the fact that she had played a minor part in the Las Noches invasion. At that time, he had also given me another order to keep an eye on her. And if the level of her reiatsu was to exhibit any changes…I was to return with this." He held up a short red strap about the width of a ribbon with what appeared to be a small crystal in the center.

"What is it?" Himeko inquired.

"I guess you can consider it a reiatsu monitor," Renji explained. "It goes on around the neck and monitors the amount of reiatsu the wearer gives off. However, if the wearer's reiatsu should reach a hostile level, the monitoring device," he said as he pointed to the crystal, "will break, at which point the tracking device in the strap will be activated. When that happens…" He looked away. "When that happens, the wearer will no longer be welcome in the living world and must return to Hueco Mundo, or Soul Society will take action."

"In other words," Uriya began as he casually leaned his back against the tree behind him, "as long as Nel remains in the living world, she is not allowed to fight, even in self defense. If she does, she will be considered an enemy."

Renji turned his eyes to the green-haired arrancar. "You have a choice, Nel, whether to accept this or not. If you don't, then you must return to Hueco Mundo immediately. If you do, and you put this on, you will not be able to take it off."

While it wasn't an entirely unreasonable request as Nel was an arrancar and wasn't supposed to be in the living world, Uriya didn't like it. For the tracking device to not activate until after the monitor breaks may seem like a show of good faith. However, it probably wouldn't take much to break the monitor since any sort of rise in reiatsu could be considered 'hostile' to the average human. And when that should happen, Soul Society would have her tagged for life. They'd be able to locate her regardless of how well she might be able to mask her reiatsu. While it may appear as though Soul Society was going out of their way and being gracious by allowing her to stay here, the truth was they were the ones who would stand to benefit more if she were to accept.

Having arrived at the same conclusion Uriya did, Ginjo wasn't too fond of the idea either. Not allowing Nel to fight was basically crippling her. It would be tough enough under normal circumstances, but with her being targeted by who-knows-what, it would be impossible to abide by Soul Society's stupid rules. "Damn it! So basically, Soul Society wants to put a leash on her? She ain't a dog!" He didn't seem to realize that he, of all people, probably had the least right to say that.

"I'm sorry," Renji said sincerely, "but this is the best I can get out of Yamamoto soutaichou."

"I accept," Nel said without hesitation, surprising everyone.

"What?!" Ginjo turned on the girl standing beside him. "Are you stupid? It's a crappy deal!"

"I understand," she responded with a serious look in her eyes. "But it means that I can stay here. It also means that if anything should happen, I alone will bear the responsibility, and no blame will fall on your family." She looked to the red-haired shinigami. "Am I correct, Renji-san?"

Renji raised his brows as he realized why she had decided to take the offer. "Yes. You don't have to worry about the Kurosakis. This is strictly between you and Soul Society."

Nel nodded. "That's all I needed to know."

Ginjo caught the strap that Renji tossed over to him and looked at Nel who was currently pulling back her hair with her hands for him. He scowled in disapproval, speaking in a low voice that only she could hear. "Are you serious about this? You're a frickin' Espada. This monitor thing will probably break if you just curl your toes funny."

"It's fine. I can't remember how to use any of my powers anyway."

"And when you do?"

She looked up at him before averting her eyes. "It's fine," she insisted. It wasn't like she had much choice at the moment. Her other options were either to leave or to defy, both of which were even less desirable.

He considered her for another moment. "Idiot," he finally said halfheartedly as he reached around her to fasten the latch of the red strap behind her neck. Once the latch closed, the strap automatically tightened until it was flush around her neck, the small crystal centered in the front.

Nel inspected the device lightly with her fingers, a slightly sad expression on her features.

"When Yamamoto soutaichou was talking about changes in Nel's reiatsu, I'm sure he was thinking of a more natural progression as she grew and developed," Renji said. "Not…" He gestured vaguely towards Nel's body with both hands as he struggled to find the right words. "…_this_. But since he didn't actually say to report back on what those specific changes were…I won't mention the details unless he really pushes for it."

Nel managed a small smile. She could see that he was trying to help her as much as he could. "Yes. Thank you."

"Be careful," Renji warned. "Because if that thing should break, Soul Society will most likely act quickly. It'll be out of my hands then."

* * *

A/N: Because Ginjo's often eating things like candy, chocolate, crepes, drinking soda and what not, it may seem like he has a major sweet tooth. But the truth is…he eats everything. XD

Takoyaki are grilled batter-covered octopus dumplings. Good stuff.

If you don't remember, Renji was promoted to captain of the Fifth Division at the end of "Searching". Only very briefly mentioned. The reason why he decided to go with Fifth was not so much because it was Aizen's division than it was because of Hinamori. You know. She got pretty messed up all the way around by Aizen. Since they'd been friends since the academy days, Renji wanted to keep an eye on her and support her or what not. No, he's not in love with her. Personally, I don't like her much myself (and can't seem to understand why she's as popular as she is. Heh…). But Renji's a sweetheart that way. Besides, he used to be in Fifth, so there's a connection there as well. This is another one of those details that will probably never make it into the story, so I figured I'd share it here.

Now on an _extremely_ unrelated non-Bleach note: Yes! Kakashi lives!! I knew he wouldn't die in such a lame way.

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo. I own an Uryuu figurine that, surprisingly, stands perfectly straight despite being so slim. Ah, just what you'd expect from an Ishida.

* * *

**Chapter Six:**

_She struggled as a couple of demented looking hollows dressed in white brought her over to a metal table and began to strap her tiny body down. Looking beyond the hollows, she could see the pink-haired man in the background making preparations, a faint smirk visible on his lips as he went about his work._

_Once the hollows finished securing her to the table, they moved away. Then a lanky man wearing an eye patch and a wide grin stepped forth, leaning over her as he cupped her chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him._

_"Where's Pesche?...and Dondochakka?" she voiced meekly, her vision blurred by her tears._

_"Don't worry," he said, the tone of his voice saturated with false reassurance. "They're fine…for now."_

_"Why are you doing this to Nel?" she asked as she tugged on her restraints. "Let Nel go!"_

_He tightened his grip on her chin to regain her attention. "Shh… You want to see those fools again, don't you?"_

_She nodded shakily._

_"Then listen carefully, Neliel. When your memories return, come to El Bosque Blanco."_

_"Bosque…Blanco…?" she repeated with confusion and uncertainty._

_His grin widened in a way that made her shiver. "…I'll be waiting."_

* * *

Drenched in cold sweat as she woke, Nel attempted to bolt up in bed only to find that she was unable to move. With her mind still clouded by the dream, her immobility startled her. But as her senses returned, she soon discovered the reason why she couldn't move: she was trapped within the embrace of a sleeping Ginjo.

Relieved, she inhaled deeply and tried to relax. As a child, she had always found safety in Ginjo's presence. It was rather ironic, since his reiatsu was anything but tranquil. It was aggressive. It was volatile. And it had the feel of a predator lying in wait. Anyone with an ounce of spiritual power or just good instinct would know to be wary. However, be it fate or simply coincidence, when he came to her rescue that night, she began to associate the feel of his fearsome energy with a completely different and opposite emotion. Clutching his shirt, she closed her eyes and breathed as she waited for his strong and steady reiatsu to take its calming effect on her.

Even though Ginjo always slept with his back to her, there was a vague sense of familiarity about being held by him in this manner as well as the reassuring feeling that came with it. Idly, she wondered if perhaps this was something he had done for her when she was still in her child form and he had sensed her distress. On some level, he probably still thought of her as the helpless and insecure child he had been reluctantly watching over since the day he had saved her.

Gently, so as not to wake him, Nel detangled herself from Ginjo and sat up in bed. Placing a hand on his cheek, stroking ever so lightly with her thumb, she watched him sleep as she mused about how strange it was that the two of them had ended up where they were now. Then with a quiet sigh, she turned away, recalling the dream she just had. Her brows creased into a troubled frown. "Nnoitora…"

Finding herself unable to sleep any longer, she slipped out of bed and quietly walked out of the room.

The moment she closed the door behind her, Ginjo opened his eyes.

* * *

Nel wandered down the dark hallway and down the stairs. Passing by the study, a shock of orange in her peripheral vision made her stop. Looking in, she found Ichigo asleep in the chair with his feet propped up on the desk and a thick hard covered book draped over his chest. The sight of the orange-haired man beckoned her, and she entered the study.

Curious, she took the book from him and flipped through the pages as she leaned against the edge of the desk. It was a medical reference. A soft smile graced her lips. "You're working hard, aren't you, Ichigo?" She closed the book and placed it on the desk.

As she looked upon his sleeping face, she thought back to the time when she first met him. It was a fond memory. Despite being a shinigami, he had been very kind to her, and she had fun during their brief adventure together. "You protected me from Lunuganga when we were in Hueco Mundo," she began in a wistful voice. "And you insisted that I not follow you into Las Noches for my own good. Now…even after so long…you're protecting me again, allowing me to take shelter in your home." She paused for a reflective moment. "I owe you a great debt of gratitude."

Leaning closer, she brushed his hair back lightly with her hand, a cheerless smile on her lips. "Don't worry…I won't let him get involved…"

* * *

By the time Ginjo sauntered his way into the kitchen the next morning, everyone else was already there. Himeko was sitting at the table eating her breakfast, Ichigo was rushing out the back door with a piece of toast in his mouth, and Rukia and Nel were at the stove making breakfast.

The boy's eyes lingered on the green-haired arrancar. She never returned to his room after walking out in the middle of the night. Not that he was complaining or anything. After all, it felt good to be able to stretch out and monopolize his bed again. Nevertheless, he didn't get that satisfying good sleep he had been hoping for. In fact, he didn't sleep another wink for the rest of the night. Something just didn't feel quite right.

When Nel saw him, she greeted him with her usual bright smile. Motioning for him to take a seat at the table, she brought over a plate and placed it in front of him. "Try it!" she exclaimed as she plopped herself into the chair across from him.

Ginjo eyed her and then the plate. It was an omelet. "Did you make this?" he asked as he picked up a fork and began to eat.

Nel watched him with her elbows propped up on the table, her hands laced together under her chin. "M-hm. Rukia taught me just now."

He chewed thoughtfully, quirking a brow. "Are you sure?" _…because it kinda tastes better than usual…_

"And she's going to teach me how to make muffins later!" she added. "So, I won't be going to school with you today."

That caught Ginjo's attention, and he looked up at her unwavering smile.

She raised her brows questioningly at his unreadable stare. "Something wrong? Maybe…you're thinking you'll miss me?"

His brows creased into a scowl. "It's a damn load off my back," he stated flatly as he ignored her and resumed his previous activity.

She smiled contently to herself. Then seeing how much he seemed to be enjoying his food, she couldn't help but want a bite herself. Picking up a fork, she cut a chunk off his omelet and put it in her mouth.

"Hey! That's mine!" he protested.

She frowned slightly. "I gave it to you."

"Which is what makes it mine," he explained, wondering why he needed to state the obvious. "Go make your own!"

She pondered for a moment as they entered into a glaring contest. Then, fueled by stubbornness, her quick hand made it past his defenses and her fork pierced into the omelet. But alas, her stubbornness was no match for his territoriality. He grabbed her retreating wrist before her mouth could claim the prize. Eating the stolen piece right off her fork, he flashed a smug grin as though daring her to try again.

A bit dismayed at first, she soon broke into a light laughter. "You really _are_ cute when you're being stingy."

Ginjo would have started yelling all kinds of obscenities if he wasn't so busy choking on his food. Calling him cute was just so wrong on so many different levels; he couldn't even begin to explain it. He could only remember two people who ever called him cute: his mother and Mashiro. _But!_ His mother saw him through mom vision so it didn't count, and anything that Mashiro says was basically invalid.

While he was coughing up a lung, Nel stole another bite of his omelet, and this time he didn't even notice. She smiled as she savored the taste of the food in her mouth. Sometimes, he was too easy.

After breakfast, as Ginjo and Himeko were heading out, he paused at the doorway and looked back at Nel who was washing dishes while conversing happily with Rukia.

"Hurry up, Gin-chan!" Himeko called in from outside. "We're going to be late!"

After another moment of deliberation, he stepped out of the house to join his sister.

Once he was gone, Nel turned her eyes to the closed door, a somber expression on her features.

* * *

With her zanpakutou in hand, Nel walked down a quiet neighborhood street, eventually coming to a stop. "You can come out now."

The feeling that she'd had about being watched turned out to be correct, and once her memories returned to her, she recognized the reiatsu. It belonged to someone who used to be close, just like Pesche and Dondochakka. And so, she came to look for this person.

From behind her, there was the sound of light footfalls upon the pavement. "Nel-sama."

Nel was reluctant to turn around, fearful of what she might see. "You've been watching over me this entire time, haven't you…Tia?" She took a deep breath before finally turning to face the other woman, tears welling up when her eyes confirmed what she had suspected.

Halibel's left arm was missing. The entire limb from the shoulder down had been cleanly sliced off. She was the one who had tried to help her and Pesche escape from Nnoitora and lost her arm to him that night.

"It seems your memory has returned," Halibel observed, her voice as calm and steady as always. "I'm glad." A few years ago, she had come across Nel's group in the deserts of Hueco Mundo by chance, and Pesche and Dondochakka had told her the truth behind their disappearance from Las Noches. Ever since, she had been keeping an eye on them from a distance, respecting Pesche's wishes of not wanting anything that could trigger Nel's memories of her life as a member of the Espada.

Nel walked over to Halibel, gently touching her shoulder where the arm had been cut off with a shaky hand. "I'm so sorry…" she managed to say as she cried silently.

Halibel, who still carried herself proudly, was more regretful than sad. "In the end…all I did was stall him."

"Why did you do it?" Nel inquired softly, her head bowed. "Why?!" The three of them had been her fraccions. _She_ was the one who was supposed to defend them. But instead, they had all gotten hurt protecting her. It made her feel useless, helpless, and undeserving. It was frustrating.

"Aizen may have increased my power with the hougyoku and made me a member of the Espada," Halibel said plainly, "but in my mind, I serve you before anyone else."

"How did you know I had crossed over to the living world?" Nel asked, still looking downcast.

Halibel glanced away. "…it was Tesla." She thought back to the night she lost the battle to Nnoitora. Either she had been left for dead or Nnoitora was more interested in getting to Nel than finishing her off, but somehow, she survived. Barely. When she came to, she was still in the middle of the desert, but Tesla was hovering over her, trying to dress her wounds:

_Suddenly alert, she reached up and put a tight grip around Tesla's throat, throwing him to the sand and holding him down with her knee on his chest. Though surprised by her sudden movement, he did not struggle._

_She was bleeding from so many places, most notably where her limb had been sliced off, that she was practically drenched in her own blood, but she disregarded it. "Where is she?" she asked, narrowing her eyes._

_Tesla kept his expression carefully neutral. "By now, she is most likely already in the living world." He averted his eyes. "Karakura Town."_

_The answer was far from what Halibel had expected, but she detected no deception. "What is Nnoitora trying to accomplish?"_

_"All I can say is this: if you want to save her, you need to find her before anyone else does and bring her back to Hueco Mundo." He searched her eyes to gauge her response. "Can you do that?"_

_She squeezed tighter on his throat, suspicious. "Why are you telling me this?" He was being too cooperative, almost as though he wanted to help her. That, however, didn't make sense. His loyalty to Nnoitora had always been unwavering._

_"You're holding my life in your hand," Tesla said, still calm. "What else can I do?"_

_That was a lie. In her current state, he could have easily overpowered her. But she didn't have time to ponder about this at the moment. She got the information she needed. Now she had to act. Letting go of Tesla, she picked up her zanpakutou and returned it to its sheath, getting to her feet._

_Seeing this, Tesla got up as well, a slight frown on his face. "Wait, Halibel-sama. You should at least let me treat your wounds first."_

_She paid him no heed and stepped through Garganta…_

Halibel knitted her brows together thoughtfully. Even now, she still didn't quite understand what Tesla was thinking. "I only wish I could have found you sooner after you disappeared from Las Noches," she said, changing the subject.

Nel gave a small nostalgic smile as she thought about how Pesche and Dondochakka must have gone through great pains in order to keep her hidden. "Even if you did find me, you wouldn't have been able to return me to this form."

"It was that girl, wasn't it?" Halibel inquired.

The green-haired arrancar arched her brows, surprised that she'd know. "Yes. Kurosaki Himeko. Her powers are…unique."

"What will you do now?"

Nel turned away. "Pesche and Dondochakka…Nnoitora has them. I must go back."

"It's a trap," Halibel said, direct and to the point. "Most likely…they're already dead."

"If I don't go just because I think it could be a trap, I won't be able to live with myself," Nel replied as she clenched her fists.

"Then I will come with you."

"No," Nel said firmly. Then her tone softened. "Please…you've done enough."

"Nel-sama…he is much stronger now than he used to be," Halibel tried to reason. "If you do not wish for me to come, then at least have Grimmjow come with you." In all honesty, Halibel had never been as shocked as when she discovered who had taken Nel in and had been acting as her protector. She could tell just by looking at him that the blue-haired youth was Grimmjow. How could she not? But at the same time, he was so different from what she had remembered. Of course, he had been reborn. It should be expected. Nonetheless, it was still surprising to witness.

"No," Nel repeated solemnly. "This is my fight."

"But—"

"Please don't follow me," Nel said with finality before Halibel could finish. Then she disappeared via sonido.

The blond-haired arrancar was left standing in silence, but she didn't follow.

"Are you all right with that?" a voice suddenly asked from behind her.

Halibel looked over her shoulder, genuinely surprised to see this man again. "How did you find me?"

Kensei snorted. "Maybe you're good at hiding your presence, but I'm exceptional at sensing reiatsu." Never mind that it had taken him a few days to finally locate her.

"You had been searching for me," she noted rather bluntly.

His cheek muscles twitched. He'd rather not comment on that. "Are you really all right with letting her go?" he asked again, hoping to get off that topic. "She's the one you'd been looking for, isn't she? You were so intent on finding her, even though you were practically at death's door when I found you."

Halibel's memories took her back to that night. Her wounds were still open at the time, and her blood was draining from her. She had recognized Kensei immediately as the man she had fought the night Aizen had fallen, just as he had recognized her. Unexpectedly, the vizard had decided to save her life. So in return, she had told him the reason she was here in the living world. She had only stayed with him for two days. As soon as she was able, she had taken her leave without saying goodbye, anxious to locate Nel. But watching over her former master seemed to be the only thing that she could do at this point. Subconsciously, her hand went up to her left shoulder. "I can do nothing for her now," she stated impassively.

* * *

When she felt she was far enough away, Nel stopped running. Standing in midair above Karakura, she took one last look at the town below then tapped the airspace before her with her fingers as Garganta opened up for her. However, just as she was about to step through, something rushed in and threw her back. When she regained her bearings, she found Ginjo had placed himself between her and the gateway.

"And where do you think you're going?" he asked, his expression blank.

Nel looked away. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Then tell me why," he demanded evenly. "I've wasted all this time looking out for ya, and you've been a real pain in my ass. I'm not about to just let you disappear without knowing what the heck's going on. You owe me an explanation."

"I…have to go back," she uttered sadly, wishing he could simply understand.

"For what?"

She was reluctant to say. "It's important."

"Why?"

"Please, just let me pass, Grimmjow!" she exclaimed, frustrated.

He gave a humorless laugh, noting the name she had called him by. "Heh…I knew it. You were just playing dumb this morning, weren't you?"

She averted her eyes once again but said nothing.

"Tell ya what," he said as he casually unsheathed his zanpakutou. "If you can take me down…I'll let you through."

"What?" she asked, unsure as to whether she had heard him correctly.

"I said fight me."

Nel gave that some consideration. She didn't really want to fight him, but it seemed he was giving her no choice. Unsheathing her blade as well, she charged forth.

Their blades clashed once, twice, and by the third time, it became clear in both of their minds that she would not be the victor. He was able to block all of her attacks with ease, and the lack of force behind her strikes had surprised them both.

She frowned as she chased him with her blade. Did the decades of dormancy really affect her powers this much?

He, however, did not give her the chance to get to the bottom of it. As soon as he saw his opening, he twirled his zanpakutou around and held it with the blade pointing downward. Moving in, he drove the hilt of his weapon into her abdomen.

With the wind knocked out of her, Nel slumped forward against Ginjo, losing consciousness. Placing one arm around her shoulders, he slipped the other one under her legs and picked her up as the portal to Hueco Mundo closed behind him.

"Damn it…I _swear_ you're nothing but trouble!" he hissed as he began to make his way home. "And you _weigh_ so much more now! _Shit!!_"

* * *

A/N: There are a lot of bits and pieces in this chapter that talks about things that happened in the past from various points in the timeline. I hope I was able to explain it clearly enough and didn't lose anyone. I'm a bit nervous about that. LOL!

Halibel's role in all this was decided over a year ago. This whole time, I've been keeping my fingers crossed, hoping Kubo won't reveal anything completely contradicting. So, when it turned out that she's the 3rd Espada and her aspect of death was sacrifice, I thought…hey, this actually works pretty well for me! Haha. I hope this streak continues. (She's not dead, yet, right? It would be kind of anticlimactic…) And I don't know if she can do that high speed regen thing, but I'm going with no. Also, I know it's actually 'Harribel' now, but…yeah…I'm too used to Halibel. And it's Schiffer, I tell ya! Schiffer!!

Ever since I pitted Halibel against Kensei, I've wanted to bring them back together somehow, and this is how it turns out. Heh. My own super crack pairing. Maybe when the story's over, I'll go back and fill in on what happened those two days.

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo. I own a little Ichigo figurine.

* * *

**Chapter Seven:**

"Gin-chan!" Himeko called out as she stomped up the stairs with a displeased frown on her face, Uriya silently following behind. Her brother had skipped school again. She had been unable to find him during lunch and eventually found out from Hiroyuki that he had simply gotten up and walked out in the middle of morning classes. He was supposed to have a history exam today! If he skipped just to avoid it, she was prepared to be really mad.

Turning the door knob, the orange-haired girl entered her brother's room and…her built up steam suddenly dissipated. Ginjo was sitting in a chair beside the bed while an unconscious Nel was lying on said bed. "Is Nel-chan all right?" she asked, suddenly concerned.

"Yeah," he said with a bored sigh.

"What happened?"

"I punched her lights out," he replied flatly.

"EH?!!"

"It's fine," he assured with slight irritation. "Don't worry about it."

"What do you _mean_ it's fine?!" she asked, completely baffled. "You can't do that to a girl!" _Especially if you want to make a good impression!!_

Ginjo grumbled. "She was about to do something stupid. What was I supposed to do?"

Himeko placed a hand on her forehead and heaved an exasperated breath. "I can't believe you!"

The blue-haired teen ignored her while Uriya simply observed, tactfully staying out of it.

"She remembers who she is now, by the way," Ginjo mentioned offhandedly.

That caught Uriya's attention, and he began to listen with more interest.

Himeko perked up. "Really?! That's great!"

At this point, Nel began to stir, blinking her eyes open.

Ginjo returned his attention to the green-haired arrancar. "Hey," he began, his tone dull. "How ya feeling?"

She placed a hand to her forehead, still feeling disoriented as she tried to remember what happened. Then it all came back to her when she felt the ache in her abdomen.

"Gin-chan!" Himeko said to her brother in a strained whisper. "Apologize!"

Ginjo rolled his eyes at his sister then turned back to Nel. "Are ya done being stupid, yet?"

Himeko smacked her palm to her forehead and kicked him. When he turned to scowl at her, she returned with a small disapproving frown. He was definitely in need of learning a thing or two about how to treat girls. She flashed Nel a smile. "Why don't you rest a bit more, Nel-chan? We'll get out." Then she grabbed onto Ginjo's arm and began tugging him out of the chair.

"Hey! This is _my_ room, princess!" he protested.

"Just come!" she insisted, pulling harder.

As the three were about to leave, Nel spoke up. "Ulquiorra…"

The trio paused.

"May I speak with you for a moment?" Though the word 'alone' was left unsaid, the implication was obvious.

Ginjo and Uriya exchanged a glance, both wearing equally unreadable expressions. Ginjo took another look at Nel, then he let Himeko drag him out as Uriya closed the door.

The raven-haired youth sat at the edge of the bed, his eyes on the floor. "It was Nnoitora, wasn't it?" he inquired impassively. "The reason you disappeared from Las Noches all those years ago."

"Mm," she voiced with a slight nod, confirming his suspicions.

He turned his head to face her. "What happened?"

"It was a surprise attack, and Nnoitora cast us out of Las Noches afterwards," she explained. "I suffered a severe head injury that somehow reverted me into a child and made me forget my identity. Pesche and Dondochakka took it upon themselves to take care of me ever since."

Uriya closed his eyes with a quiet sigh. "I warned you about him, didn't I?"

* * *

(Thirty plus years ago in Hueco Mundo, just outside Las Noches)

_It was the end of yet another duel, and Nnoitora found himself lying with his face in the sand once again. He propped himself up on his elbows, his fingers clawing into the sand with frustration as he watched Nel sheathe her blade wordlessly and walk away from him. "I said finish the job, damn it!" he hollered._

_She stopped. "How many times do I have to tell you?" she asked calmly, her back still to him. "I won't do it."_

_"Stop pissing me off!!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with rage and wounded pride. "Are you looking down on me?!"_

_She simply could not understand him. "Nnoitora…I may wield a zanpakutou and possess powers of a shinigami. However, I am __**not**__ a shinigami. If I strike you down with my blade, your soul will not be purified. If you die by my hands, you will not be reincarnated. Your cycle will end here for good."_

_Nnoitora stared at her, unaffected by her words. "Yeah. Your point?"_

_Nel looked over her shoulder at him with disbelief. "Do you value your existence so little?"_

_He snorted. "I just don't see the point in coming back and doing this crap over and over again. The living world's a shit hole, boring as hell. And here…this __**is**__ hell. Didn't I say this already? There ain't no salvation for us…with or without Aizen."_

_She didn't respond, electing to keep walking instead._

_He glowered with infuriation. "I'll keep coming at ya!"_

_She halted once more. "Do as you like. The outcome will not change."_

_As Nel got closer to Las Noches, she realized that there had in fact been a single spectator._

_Ulquiorra stood watching her silently with steady but dispassionate eyes._

_When she walked past him, she came to a stop, her eyes trained on the sand. "Do you disapprove?"_

_"What you choose to do or not do is none of my concern," he stated, matter of fact. "I merely can not understand your reasons. If I were in your place, I would have cut him down a long time ago."_

_"And yet…Grimmjow is still very much alive," she retorted. Ulquiorra's relationship with Grimmjow was a lot like Nel's relationship with Nnoitora. They both knew that._

_Ulquiorra placed his hands in his pockets. "It is not the same. I have yet to comply with Grimmjow's demands for a fight. You, however, have indulged your challenger by fighting with him time after time. Yet, you always stop short of delivering the finishing blow. In so doing, are you not simply wasting your time?"_

_There was a pregnant pause before she gave her reply. "Nnoitora may be a beast, but…he can still evolve."_

_He raised a slight questioning brow. "Evolve?"_

_"Even if not in this lifetime, then for sure in the next," she continued. "Our souls evolve as we go through the cycle. We experience different things in every life that we live, and we take that knowledge with us when we are reborn. Even if we may not consciously know it, our bodies remember. We learn from it, grow from it. In that way, we improve upon ourselves." She turned to look at him. "That is what I believe. If I kill him, his evolution will stop."_

_Ulquiorra closed his eyes. "Neliel…you are idealistic and naïve. Fools like that do not change. Not Nnoitora…not Grimmjow."_

_Nel didn't want to believe that. If they did not change and evolve in the process, then the cycle of birth and rebirth would lose its meaning. There would be no purpose to it, and they would be merely going around in circles, just as Nnoitora said._

_"As you say, Nnoitora is a beast," Ulquiorra added. "Beasts can be unpredictable when they are enraged. You should beware."_

* * *

The young Quincy recalled the time when Nel was still a member of the Espada. She had a kind and gentle nature that made her easy to manipulate. Aizen would always speak eloquently in front of her, making his plans for domination sound like an ambitious yet selfless struggle for unity, ultimately making it possible to establish a sense of order and peace even in a savage wasteland such as Hueco Mundo. That was the future Aizen had dangled in front of her to easily maintain her loyalty by appealing to her sense of righteousness.

Uriya had always thought her to be naïve. Nonetheless, she was also strong, levelheaded, intelligent, and she followed orders. She was probably the only one he had been able to hold an actual conversation with, even though she would usually be the one to initiate it. Basically, they got along, despite a certain…personality quirk of hers. He didn't mind her, which he supposed…by the standards of his former self…would pretty much equate to 'he liked her'. "I should have realized sooner that the child arrancar was you," he finally stated.

Still lying in bed, Nel blinked with surprise. That was basically an apology, however vague and roundabout. There really wasn't a need for him to apologize. It was illogical after all for her to show up before him so many years later in a form so much younger than when he had known her. And she _definitely_ did not expect an apology from _him_. The Ulquiorra she knew _never_ apologized for anything. She studied him with a pensive expression. "Ulquiorra, what happened to you and Grimmjow? You're…different, yet…so much the same."

"You mean why do we remember our past lives even though we have been reborn," he said, rephrasing her question. "I suppose we have been given a second chance of sorts," he replied, his eyes briefly glazing over with thought. "However, that is of no importance at this moment," he said, turning the conversation back to her. "When Ginjo found you, you were injured and even more of your memories had been lost. Was it also Nnoitora's doing this time?"

She gave a solemn nod. "I don't understand why he left me here in the living world," she said with slight confusion in her voice. "But…he's waiting for me. He's holding Pesche and Dondochakka hostage." She watched as Uriya tried to digest the information she had just divulged. "Ulquiorra, have you told Grimmjow anything about my past with Nnoitora?"

"I have said nothing."

"Then can I ask you just one favor?" When he raised his brows expectantly, she continued. "Please don't tell him anything about what's going on."

"You do not want him to get involved." It was a statement, not a question.

"I need to do things my own way." Nel pretty much knew Uriya would figure out Nnoitora was behind all this. But since Ginjo didn't know much, if anything, about her relationship with Nnoitora, he shouldn't be able to piece it together. In order for her to keep her personal promise to Ichigo about keeping Ginjo out of it, he absolutely can not know the truth.

Uriya gave a small smirk as he resisted the urge to shake his head. "Neliel…you are naïve as always. By asking to speak with me alone, do you not think that it has already raised suspicions?"

She opened her mouth to retort, but the words wouldn't come. She had been so worried about making sure that Uriya would keep her secret that she hadn't even thought about what Ginjo might think.

"Ginjo may seem dimwitted because he is brash and reckless," he said, "but, surprisingly…he is not."

Nel gave a slight frown, averting her eyes with embarrassment about her oversight. "Just don't say anything," she muttered.

He was rather amused. "Very well. I will do as you have asked. But he will figure it out soon enough." _…if he hasn't already._

In response, Nel jumped up and threw her arms around his neck from behind, gratefully relieved. "Thank you, Ulqui! You're a sweetheart!"

The boy did not react outwardly, but he heaved an inward sigh. _Ah, yes…it was this personality quirk…_ The former third Espada had a tendency to throw herself on people when she got emotional, though this was the first time he had actually fallen victim to the act. Her fraccions were the only ones he'd ever seen her 'attack'. "It would seem the time you've spent as a child has lowered your guard."

"Hmm? You think so?" Sure, playing Eternal Tag for decades nonstop probably had some effect on her. However… "But you know, Ulquiorra," she said with a childlike grin. "I've always wanted to do this back when we were in Las Noches. You just looked so _gloomy_ all the time." In the back of her mind, she had always thought of him as Las Noches's little walking raincloud.

"I see," he noted apathetically. "What stopped you?"

"The horn on your mask looked like it might poke my eye out," she answered honestly.

"Ah," he replied, his tone still conveying indifference. "So, that had been my source of protection."

She laughed lightly in response as she finally released him from her hold. At least it seemed he had managed to cultivate _something_ like a sense of humor this life.

Uriya got to his feet and took his leave. As he stepped out of the room, he found Ginjo sitting in the hallway, waiting. They eyed each other wordlessly for a while until, eventually, Ginjo gave in.

"So? What did she say?" the vizard asked with a bit of impatience.

"Are you that interested?" Uriya inquired.

"Heck, no," Ginjo replied reflexively.

Uriya smirked at Ginjo's predictability. "Then don't ask." That said, he walked away with his hands in his pockets.

Ginjo grumbled, taking a moment to glare at Uriya's back before getting up and entering his room so he could glare at Nel instead.

Still sitting in bed, Nel smiled uncomfortably at him.

"You still owe me an explanation," he said without preamble. "So? What was this important thing you had to rush back to Hueco Mundo for?"

She looked away with uncertainty. "I…"

"You were going to look for Nnoitora, right?" he asked, sounding too sure for it to really be a question.

Her eyes widened with surprise. Sure, Uriya said he'd figure it out 'soon enough', but this was way too soon! "How did you…?"

"You talk in your sleep," he supplied dryly. Although, last night was the only time she had actually mentioned Nnoitora's name.

Nel gave herself a mental slap. _Why does Ulquiorra always have to be right?_ She heaved a sigh of resignation. "I have to go to him in order to retrieve the two people most important to me."

Ginjo snorted mockingly as he plopped himself onto the bed, facing her. "And? What were you thinking of doing when you get there, squirt? When you fought me, you weren't even able to break this thing," he said as he placed a hand against the side of her neck, fingering the crystal she wore with his thumb. "You know what that means? It means you suck."

Her hand flew up to touch the red strap around her neck. She was so distracted by everything else that she had completely forgotten about Soul Society's monitor. Nevertheless, she felt somewhat indignant about being told that she 'sucked' so directly, so she tried to argue. "You knocked me out before I had the chance to really use my powers."

He raised a brow. "Riiiight. Doesn't that _also_ means you suck?"

Nel opened her mouth to retort but, once again, was able to come up with nothing. She definitely was not on a winning streak today. Huffing a breath, she looked away.

If she really thought about it, she _had_ been out of action for decades. She probably needed to build up her strength in order to get back to where she was before. And that alone wouldn't be enough, because Nnoitora must have grown stronger during this period of time. Even Halibel had told her so.

After mulling it over, she came to a decision. "Grimmjow…will you train me?"

He cocked a questioning brow. "What? You want me to teach you how to roll over and shit like that?"

She punched his arm with a small frown. "I'm serious."

Ginjo smirked to himself. It seemed like he was finally getting somewhere. Truth was, deep down an excitement had been brewing ever since he found out she was Neliel. He wanted to fight her. Not as she was now, but since she was the former third Espada, he knew she had potential. Once she got back up to speed, she could give him a really good fight. However, before that, there was one other thing he needed to take care of first.

He leaned in closer. "Listen, squirt. I don't like doing favors. If I help ya train, there's gotta be something in it for me."

She held his gaze calmly without backing away. "What do you want?"

A grin spread across his features. "I want in on the action. When you're ready, I'm going to Hueco Mundo with you."

She faltered, feeling conflicted.

"Do we have a deal?" he prompted.

She took a deep breath. "Fine," she said at last with a determined look. "It's a deal."

His grin widened, satisfied. Then he remembered something else. "Oh, and…make more of this stuff." He reached over to the nightstand where there was a rather huge plate with just one muffin on it, picking up the muffin. He had been surprised and amused when he came home to find that Nel had actually made muffins before she tried to quietly disappear. "But seriously…she didn't teach you how to make this, did she?" he asked, referring to Rukia. _…cuz it tastes way better than usual._

Nel didn't respond but looked to the now empty plate with a gasp. "You ate _all_ of it?!"

He shrugged as he took a bite out of the muffin. "I ain't got anything better to do while you were passed out."

She was in shock, not only because he was able to consume that mountain of muffins all on his own, but also because no one else, including herself, had had one yet. Dissatisfied, she grabbed his wrist and took a bite out of the muffin herself…a tactic she learned from him during their omelet struggle that morning.

With a roll of his eyes, Ginjo relinquished the muffin without a fight this time. He _did_ eat about two dozen already out of sheer boredom after all. "In any case," he said, getting back to business. "Before we do anything else…we gotta do something about this leash." He looked down to her neck, his hand reaching up to touch the red strap once again.

* * *

A/N: Here's something else I haven't quite figured out. How long ago was it when Nel was cast out of Las Noches? Just from the way the story's told, it seems to suggest a good while ago…like, years. But didn't Aizen only relatively recently acquired the hougyoku and the ability to create these fully developed arrancars in perfect human form? I can't seem to get the "history of Las Noches" and the "recently acquired hougyoku" to align in my brain. Heh.

As it is uncertain whether Ulqui and Grimm were even there when Nel was, I'm not going to give them a ranking/position. But Ulqui ranks higher than Grimm, of course. That's a given. Haha. Ah, Ulquiorra in his original form and with his original attitude. It was only a brief scene, but his appearance made me happy. LOL!

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo. For about 3 weeks, I had two pets: a pair of baby crows in a nest right outside my window. I named them Grimmbeak (because he's overactive and obnoxious, constantly poking his beak out of the nest since day one) and Schiffer (because he's calm and just sort of 'shifts' around in the nest. Haha!) But they're all grown up and have both left the nest. :o( I miss them…

* * *

**Chapter Eight:**

Within the walls of Urahara Shouten, Nel stood with her chin slightly tilted up and her eyes forward as the shop owner leaned in close to get a good look at the device around her neck, tapping the crystal lightly with the tip of his fan.

Standing beside her, Ginjo observed with folded arms. "So? Can you do it?"

Urahara straightened up. "Well…it's not really a matter of whether I _can_ or not," he said with a small smirk. "It's more like whether I _should_ or not. This has nothing to do with me. If Soul Society were to find out that I had disabled their device, I would be the one taking the fall for you. So…why should I?" His smirk widened as he eyed the Kurosaki boy.

Ginjo glared back. He could tell that the exiled shinigami was trying to play games. From the gleam in his eyes when he was studying the reiatsu monitor, it was obvious that Urahara wanted to take on the challenge. The science geek in him couldn't resist the temptation. However, he was purposely refusing just to see what Ginjo would do about it. Perhaps he wanted Ginjo to beg, but, heck, that would never happen.

While the two men were locked in an amused stare versus annoyed glare standstill, Nel interrupted with her humble voice. "It's fine, Urahara-san. I understand. Please forgive me for asking such an unreasonable favor of you." She bowed her head slightly. "Sorry for the trouble." She was desperate, but if she can't do it this way, then she'd just have to go back to her original plan. Go to Hueco Mundo…and never come back to the living world.

She glanced over at Ginjo. Somehow, the thought of never returning made her sad.

Urahara raised a brow at Nel's response as curious eyes turned to her.

"You don't have to apologize to him," Ginjo said with a scowl. "This guy never does anything by the book, so don't let him fool ya."

Urahara gasped, taking a step back with feigned indignation. "Ginjo, I'm hurt you think that way of me. I'm an honest law abiding citizen."

"Law abiding citizen my ass," the boy retorted flatly. "You're the biggest rule-breaking bastard I know…besides me."

"Hmm?" Urahara held up his opened fan, obscuring the lower half of his face from view. "Is that really the way to ask someone for a favor?"

Ginjo heaved a sigh. "You're right," he said, nonchalant. "I suck at this. Guess there's no other choice." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and flipped it open as he began punching in numbers. "I'll just have to call Himeko, tell her what a jackass you're being, and have _her_ come and beg you for help herself."

Moving faster than the speed of light, Urahara swiped the phone out of Ginjo's hand before the boy could put it to his ear, flipping the thing shut. "Now, now, Ginjo," he said, his voice tinged with _just_ a mere hint of nervousness. "No need to take drastic measures."

Nel raised her brows as she looked from one to the other. Although she didn't fully understand what had just occurred, she didn't miss the sudden turn of the tables either.

Ginjo grinned triumphantly. "So…how long will it take?"

Urahara gave a small sigh of defeat, then he was all business again. "Give me three days."

Ginjo nodded. "We'll be back in three days then."

"Urahara-san," Nel began with a bit of uncertainty. "Are you really sure about doing this?" She understood the consequences.

The blond-haired shinigami gave a reassuring smile, but before he could speak, Ginjo cut in.

"Don't worry about it," the boy said with a bit of irritation. "He lives for shit like this." Then he proceeded to push her out the door.

"Ginjo," the shop owner called before the boy could follow her out.

Ginjo turned around, just in time to see and catch his cell phone. "I owe you one, Urahara," he said, more serious now. He really hated owing people favors. If he had any other way, he wouldn't have come here today. Slipping the phone back into his pocket, he turned and began to walk away. "You can come and collect anytime."

At this point, Yoruichi, who had been quietly observing on a shelf in cat form, leaped to the floor to join Urahara's side. "I wonder why he thinks _he's_ the one who owes you instead of Nel."

"Ahh," Urahara began with a reminiscent tone. "Little Ginjo's all grown up now."

Yoruichi snorted. "About time."

"She seems like a nice girl." The exiled shinigami grinned. "He has good eyes."

Yoruichi pondered as she watched the pair walk further into the distance. Ginjo had just said something in his typical agitated fashion. Then Nel, who had appeared solemn, suddenly smiled brightly in response. "Yeah," she said dryly. "I just wonder what's wrong with _hers_."

Urahara chuckled at her words, and soon Yoruichi joined in as well.

* * *

Standing atop a roof from a distance far enough away not to be detected, Tesla watched as Nel and Ginjo left Urahara Shouten, his hand hovering over the hilt of his zanpakutou indecisively. With that guy constantly at her side…and Tesla knew exactly who he was…what were his chances of success? On the other hand, he knew that the more he delayed, the smaller his window of opportunity would become.

Ultimately deciding that he would have to take a gamble, Tesla placed his hand on his blade and prepared to move in. However, before he could even draw, another zanpakutou had placed itself at his throat…a very distinctive one whose blade was broad with a hollowed out center. Taking a careful sideward glance, he found Halibel standing beside him.

From her lips came a single word. "Why?"

He gave no reply.

"You wanted me to save her. What changed your mind?" She couldn't understand his motives.

"If you remember, my words were 'if _you_ want to save her, you need to find her before anyone else does and bring her back to Hueco Mundo'," he replied evenly. "You failed to do that. The situation has changed. Neliel has to die." He managed to slip past her blade, but Halibel immediately turned around and kicked her heel into his gut, sending him skidding back. He unsheathed his zanpakutou, but the tip of hers was already at his throat, once again blocking him before he could even make a move. The difference in their speed was nothing short of night and day.

"Even with just one arm, you should know that you are still far from being my equal," Halibel stated, calm and impassive.

"I came prepared for the worst," he retorted with stubbornness.

"You are ready to throw down your life for Nnoitora?"

"Of course!"

She supposed she didn't really expect any less from him. "Yet, you don't appear to be acting on his orders," she noted. His actions didn't seem to align with what Nnoitora wanted.

Tesla frowned as though dismayed that she would even question his loyalty. "I am acting in his best interests."

She considered him briefly. "Tesla. You've helped me. I do not wish to hurt you. Don't force my hand." She pulled her zanpakutou away and slipped it gracefully back into its sheath. "Go back to Hueco Mundo. Your death will accomplish nothing."

He clenched his teeth as he looked from Halibel to the now very distant Nel, but he was already made very well aware that he did not have the power to succeed. Weighted down by frustration and defeat, he reluctantly called upon Garganta.

"Tesla," Halibel said before he stepped through. "Next time you come near Nel-sama…I will strike."

* * *

Three days later, as promised, Urahara provided Nel with a solution: a small metallic claw that looked almost like a spider. It was made to fit right over the crystal and act as a shield, filtering out any signal of Nel's reiatsu that would be above and beyond the usual output. By so doing, even if she were to increase her reiatsu, the monitor would still only be able to detect the same amount of reiatsu as she would release while in a calm state.

However, since the shield needed to be small and light enough so that it wouldn't impeded on Nel's movements, a small compromise had to be made in regards to its performance. It could overheat if activated for a prolonged period of time. According to Urahara's directions, when that should happen, the shield would give a warning signal, at which point Nel would have to rein in her reiatsu and let it cool off.

Nel touched the metallic claw that had already been put in place over the crystal, lost in thought as she followed behind Ginjo. She could only hope that this tiny device would really do what it was supposed to do.

Before she knew it, they had come to a stop. As she looked at her surroundings, she saw that they had arrived at a small garage in the middle of a small market street. Furrowing her brows curiously, she wondered why they had come to such a place.

As they entered, a man with straight cut short blond hair sitting on the hood of a car raised a brow at Ginjo. Then turning his eyes to Nel, he scanned her from head to toe and back up the length of her body while she was busy exploring her surroundings and didn't even notice. As distracting as her voluptuous form may be, the broken mask atop her head did not escape him. "Well, well, Ginjo," Shinji began with a grin. "Guess now I know why I haven't seen _you_ in a while."

The blue-haired youth only rolled his eyes in response.

"So…who's the lovely lady?" Shinji asked.

That caught Nel's attention. Her eyes lit up in recognition as a smile spread across her lips. "Shinji!"

The vizard quirked a brow. "Heh? Have we met, beautiful miss?"

She laughed lightly. "It's me. Nel. We met in Hueco Mundo many years ago."

"Nel?" Shinji frowned as he sifted through his memories. "You mean…the giant-worm-riding pipsqueak?"

Her smile widened in confirmation.

He jumped off the car, the look of surprise on his face. "Nel-chan?! I can't believe it! I knew you when you were _this_ little!" he exclaimed with exaggeration, holding a hand out to indicate the height of a toddler. "_Now_ look at you! You're all grown up and…" He paused just long enough to give a fanciful sigh. "…I think I'm in love… Come give Uncle Shinji a hug!"

Shinji propelled himself towards Nel with open arms, at which point Ginjo stepped in and stopped his advance with a foot to his chin, turning the man's face upward. "Enough of your perverted bullshit already," he said with a condescending glare.

"Hey! What's with this rebellious attitude?! Keeping your shishou from his first crush!" Shinji demanded, his arms flailing about.

"I'll give you a crush!" Ginjo retracted his foot, following up with a punch to Shinji's eye, causing the man to fall back onto the hood of the car.

At this point, Hiyori entered the scene. "Hey! Dent the car and you're paying for it! Got it, Blue?!!" She shot a glare at Shinji. "You, too, Baldy!"

Shinji picked himself back up and brushed the dust off his clothes, huffing a breath as he frowned at the boy. "So? You obviously didn't just come here because ya missed me."

"I need to use the training room," Ginjo said, all business now. "And I need to borrow some of Hachi's time."

* * *

While Ginjo and Nel sparred, Hachi kept up a barrier to ensure that none of Nel's reiatsu would escape the underground training room and become detectable by Soul Society or anyone else. But of course, the pink-haired vizard wasn't the only spectator. This was a rare enough event that, one by one, the entire vizard gang had been lured to come see it, deeming it a good enough reason to close up their various shops early.

"So, what's the brat up to now?" Risa asked, just joining the group.

"He's training his girlfriend!" Love supplied enthusiastically as he offered her some of his popcorn.

Risa adjusted her glasses, skeptical. "Please. That kid doesn't know the first thing about picking up girls." She spared a moment to study the green-haired arrancar on the field. "And that's no ordinary girl."

"Well…she would need to be extraordinary, wouldn't she?" Rose commented in his typical lackluster fashion. "Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to handle our little Ginjo."

"You mean put up with him," Risa corrected flatly.

Rose gave a quiet snicker. "That, too."

While the others continued their discussions, Kensei merely observed the match. He recognized Nel as the one Halibel had spoken to the other day but kept his silence. He just never would have thought that Nel was actually the little girl they had met in Hueco Mundo. Then his musings were cut short by the sound of Mashiro's voice.

"Mashiro doesn't like this!" the green-haired vizard exclaimed, throwing a fit as she rolled around on the ground. "Why did Blueberry-tan bring that girl here?! Why?! And she's taking up all of Hachi's time, too! It's not fair!"

Kensei couldn't keep the veins from popping up on his forehead anymore. He'd had it up to his eyebrows with her disgraceful display. "Will you shut your trap already?! That's the sixth time you've repeated yourself!"

That only succeeded in making Mashiro roll around with even more vigor, pouting harder. "I'm hungry! I want cake! I want blueberry cake! I want Hachi to make me blueberry cake!"

Kensei swiped a hand down his face, willing the urge to strangle her to subside. Even after decades upon decades of experience with her nonsense, he still couldn't become desensitized enough to ignore it. Deciding he had better get away, he went to join their other guest who had been standing almost like a statue a bit further away, quietly analyzing the match.

The young Quincy and Ginjo's sister had come when the school day had ended. The Ishida boy was already not very approachable to begin with, so upon seeing how focused he was on the fight, Kensei didn't try to strike up conversation.

Uriya watched as he pondered. Ginjo didn't really give him any details, but seeing as how he had started training with Nel, they were definitely planning on doing _something_, and Uriya could pretty much guess what that something was. As he had suspected, Ginjo must have already found out about Nnoitora's involvement.

Then the sound of small rocks falling from somewhere behind caught both Uriya's and Kensei's attention, and they turned to find Himeko halfway up the cliff behind them, in the midst of rock climbing.

"Hey, kid," Kensei began, addressing Uriya. "What's she doing up there?"

The raven-haired youth heaved a silent sigh, his underlying exasperation perfectly concealed. "She's going to fall."

"What?" the vizard said, almost laughing at the comment. The girl was one of Ichigo's after all, and rather athletic at that. "You should give her a bit more credi—"

"…on purpose," Uriya finished.

Now Kensei was really confused.

Uriya gave the man a sideward glance and caught his look of incomprehension. "Don't ask me why."

Before Kensei could ask 'why' to Uriya's statement of not asking why, Himeko yelped and fell, just as the boy had predicted. In the blink of an eye, Uriya was already standing below her, and she dropped safely into his arms.

Silently, Uriya noted that she was pulling her stunts further and further away from him. If this truly was a 'test' as she had claimed, then she must be testing his reflexes. But he was beginning to think that perhaps this was more of a game to her than a test…something like high risk flirting.

It would seem that Ginjo's reckless nature was rubbing off on her…reminiscent of when Genji used to give Akari ideas about climbing trees in order to get him to do something. His thoughts went from Himeko to Ginjo to the rocks in his pockets, and he had a feeling that Ginjo's skull was going to become acquainted with a number of his rocks before the day was over.

"Thanks, Uriya!" Himeko exclaimed, smiling a bit too brightly. "That was a nice catch!"

"Hime…have you given any thought to what might happen if I couldn't reach you in time?" he asked with a slightly reprimanding tone.

She beamed up at him, her legs swinging. "Don't worry! I have full confidence in you!"

That wasn't what he asked, but he took her answer to mean 'no'.

Himeko studied his face. He was doing that calmly-close-his-eyes-and-breathe thing again. To the untrained eye, he was the picture of serenity. But in reality, that was his 'agitation mounting' look. "Are you mad?"

"No," he said as he gently set her feet back on the ground.

"Hmm." Her tone suggested that she was unconvinced. She tilted her head with a thoughtful frown and curious eyes. "I wonder… Would you say so if you were?"

He looked at her and blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected question.

"Uriya…in your mind…am I still a princess?"

He simply stared at her, unsure how to respond.

Then noise from the sparring match distracted them, catching everyone else's attention as well. It was Urahara's rather loud voice, apparently originating from the tiny device on Nel's neck. "Warning! Overheating! Overheating! Warning! Overheating! Overheating!" Then in a staged whisper… "P.S…Ginjo used to wear bunny ears as a kid…I have proof."

After a stunned moment where Nel and Ginjo stared at each other while holding their blades up in mid strike, Nel bit her lips to try to hold in her laughter. She had been wondering what the so called warning signal was going to sound like. Now she knew.

While she was busy trying not to laugh, Ginjo's reaction was to turn around and whip out his phone, calling Urahara Shouten. As expected, nobody answered so he had to settle for recording a message instead. "Urahara, you god damn bastard! I'll definitely pay you back double! Wait for it!!"

By the time he finished, Nel was already trying to nonchalantly walk away. He used shunpo to catch up with her and, standing behind her, locked her head in place with his arm. "And _where_ do you think you're going?" he asked in his low and threatening voice.

She gave a small shrug. "Since we won't be able to resume for a while, I thought I'd go out and take a walk."

"You are _not_ going to see Urahara," he stated knowingly.

"Hmm…?" she said with a small smile of amusement. "You seem rather insistent. I guess that means it's true."

Ginjo cursed himself internally for the slip up. "That's none of your business either way!" He tightened his lock, but for some reason that only made her laugh in response as she placed her hands on the arm around her neck for support. He grumbled. "Stop laughing, damn it!"

"Hey!" Shinji yelled from where he was watching at a distance. "What the hell's with this random open flirting?!"

"Are ya blind?!" Ginjo hollered back with agitation. "I'm obviously threatening her here!" Never mind that it wasn't working at all. And the fact that she was now breaking down into uncontrollable laughter just took the whole effect away. Resigned, he heaved an exasperated sigh and released her, thinking to himself that perhaps she really _was_ some kind of masochist.

"Give it up, Baldy," Hiyori drawled as she watched Shinji brood. "You and your bowl cut never had a chance."

"I ain't bald!" Shinji roared. "And it's not a bowl cut!"

* * *

It was already dusk when Kensei stepped out of the garage, disgruntled about having to be the one to go get takeout…_again_. Everyone was using 'watching the training' as an excuse to do nothing, and nobody wanted to cook. In some ways, it was a bit nostalgic, taking them back to the time when they were training Ichigo. He didn't really mind it until somehow he ended up being designated as takeout guy.

However, his internal monologue, of which ninety-five percent was made up of curses and the remaining five percent was made up of incoherent grunts and grumbles, was cut short and forgotten when he noticed a certain light-haired, dark skinned arrancar sitting on the roof of Love and Rose's bookstore across the street. He couldn't help but think how small the world was, even when considering multiple dimensions. They had met as enemies many years ago. Then they crossed paths again by chance and he saved her life. She left in a hurry to look for someone. Then that someone somehow ended up at his place, and here she was again.

Kensei knew that she could stay hidden if she wanted to. The fact that she showed herself must mean that she wanted information. "She's here," he offered.

Halibel didn't respond. She knew that Nel had come to this place, but somehow she had lost track of her reiatsu.

"She's training inside a barrier," he continued as though sensing her confusion, figuring Hachi's barrier was probably what threw her off. "Can't say I really know what's going on, but…seems like Ginjo's helping her out."

She absorbed this information, recognizing Ginjo to be Grimmjow's current identity. "I see."

Kensei scratched the back of his head with a frown. This was getting rather awkward and uncomfortable, especially when she was being about as responsive as a door knob. "You can just come in, you know," he finally suggested. He didn't really understand why she felt the need to slink around out here. They weren't enemies anymore, and it wasn't like Shinji and the rest of the gang didn't already know who she was, since he had dragged her home all bloody that night.

"That won't be necessary," Halibel replied apathetically. "However, I would like to know more about Kurosaki Ginjo."

The frown returned to Kensei's face as he considered her. "That depends. Why do you want to know?" He didn't forget that they both used to be members of the Espada. He had no idea what sort of relationship Halibel and Ginjo might have had…if there was any bad blood.

His sudden protectiveness was not lost on her. She took it as a good sign. "I only need to know if he could be trusted."

He smirked when it dawned on him that she was only concerned for Nel. "All right. I'm heading out right now," he said, casually pointing a thumb down the street. "Tag along, and I'll tell you what you want to know."

"Fine." With sonido, she transported herself down to him in a flash.

Having not expected that sudden relocation to a spot just inches away, Kensei backed up with surprise. Then he sighed with a slight slump. "Right. You just _have_ to flaunt that sonido thing in front of me, don't you?" he muttered darkly to himself, remembering how her high speed battle with Yoruichi in Las Noches had left him dumbfounded. Well, at least he could take comfort in the fact that he was now able to speak with her without being distracted by what she was wearing…or not wearing.

Halibel took a moment to study him. Even though she generally emanated a proud and stoic persona and not much of her features beyond her eyes were visible, Kensei was positive that those green orbs were currently flickering with something akin to amusement…the kind that was at his expense. "Inferiority complex?"

He sputtered. "Heck, no! I'll have you know I can shunpo like hell now!"

Her eyes lingered on him a while longer. "Mm," she voiced as she began to walk off. "Inferiority complex." It was a statement this time.

Kensei wanted to kick himself. He really should have kept his mouth shut.

* * *

A/N: Had I known back then that Kensei was a former captain, his encounter with Halibel in Las Noches probably would have gone a bit differently…at least, he wouldn't have lost by as big a margin. Haha. But now I'll just roll with the traits I had assigned to him and try to merge it with canon. It's not really _too_ far off...I don't think…

There's actually plenty of "proof" of Ginjo in bunny ears in the Kurosaki household as well as in Ichigo's wallet (yes, he still carries them XD). Nel just doesn't know about it. Heh. Ginjo would probably feel like running interference whenever Nel speaks with Rukia from now on, just to make sure the subject doesn't come up. LOL!

The next chapter looks like it might be long, so it may take longer to update.

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo. I'm looking for good quality Ulquiorra and Grimmjow key chains (preferably made of metal, not plastic). So, if you know where one exists, let me know!

* * *

**Chapter Nine:**

Sitting dully in one of the living room armchairs, the medical journal in his hand forgotten, Ichigo thought about the fact that it had already been weeks since Ginjo's been home. This was the longest stretch of time that Kon had inhabited Ginjo's body, taking his son's place in life while the boy's soul attended to other matters. All Ginjo said was that he was training Nel because she was being targeted. So now, the two of them have holed up at Shinji's. Ichigo couldn't help but worry, sensing that the boy wasn't telling him everything. And it seemed Himeko didn't know more than he did either, so he wasn't able to get anything out of her.

The orange-haired man let his eyes wander around the room, noting the stillness. After having lived over seventeen years filled with obnoxious noise and pounding headaches, it was hard not to find the overwhelming peacefulness just a tad bit unbearable. He heaved a small sigh. "It's too quiet around here."

Curled up comfortably on the couch across from him, engrossed with the novel in her hand, Rukia gave her distracted reply. "Hirako's isn't that far away, you know. So, if you want to go…"

He frowned at the idea. "I don't need to go see Ginjo."

Rukia peeked at him over the pages of her book, a sly grin on her face. "Who said anything about Ginjo? I just said _Hirako_ wasn't far away."

He grumbled as he tossed the journal onto the coffee table and threw her a glare. Then leaning his elbow against the armrest, he propped his chin up in his hand, his head decidedly turned away from her as he scowled.

That reaction had such a quality of innocence to it, she couldn't help but smile. It reminded her of the time when he had been no more than a boy himself. Setting her novel aside, she went over and dropped herself onto his lap, her arms draping loosely around his neck. "Are you worried?"

He turned to her, still frowning. "Aren't you?"

She heaved a small breath. "Don't you have any confidence in him?"

"Do I have to answer that?" he deadpanned.

"Ichigo!" She shoved his head.

"Ow!" He chuckled. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!"

"Look," she said. "He's strong, isn't he?"

"Yeah." There was no denying that one.

"And he's smart, too."

Book smart…not so much, but definitely street smart. "Yeah."

"Plus, he has endurance, he's fast, and he's agile. His zanpakutou is as beautiful as it is powerful." She clasped her hands together, her mind filled with thoughts of her first born. "He's tall, he's handsome, he's charming, and he's absolutely brilliant! He's energetic and so full of life! He's cute, he's adorable, he's huggable…"

Ichigo put on a frown of confusion as her endless list of not-necessarily-relevant positive qualities continued to gush out of her mouth. "Are we still talking about the same person here?"

Rukia folded her arms and shot him a glare, to which he only grinned back in response. She huffed another breath. "All I'm saying is he can take care of himself. Stop worrying so much, Ichigo," she said, gently rubbing a finger over the spot where his brows came together as though trying to undo the scowl he was wearing. "Besides, he has a lot of you in him."

He closed his eyes to her touch, his hand reaching up to lightly grasp onto hers as he heaved a sigh. "That's the part I'm worried about."

* * *

"Warning! Overheating! Overheating!"

As soon as he heard that, Ginjo made a dive for Nel and clamped both of his hands solidly over her ears, racing against another one of Urahara's P.S. messages. Though, in his opinion, they were more like B.S. messages. Ninety-nine percent of the crap he spewed…including things like 'Ginjo still sucks on his thumb when he sleeps' and 'Ginjo is secretly a huge fan of Chappy the Rabbit'… weren't even true! The device had overheated so many times already, and the messages have _yet_ to repeat themselves. One had to wonder just _how much_ time out of the three days Urahara had needed to construct the thing was actually devoted to recording pure nonsense.

When it was over, Nel pulled his hands away with a slight frown of protest. "I wanted to hear that!"

"Tough shit! It's all bullshit anyway!"

"Urahara-san made the shield for me, including the messages," she retorted with calm dignity, lifting her nose slightly in playful stubbornness. "It would be rude not to listen to them."

Ginjo gawked, his expression nonplussed. But before he could holler back about how Urahara was the rude one for spreading false information, Nel visibly wilted, looking like she was about to pass out as exhaustion caught up with her. He swept her up into his arms before she could hit the ground, all joking and arguing coming to an abrupt stop, the mood turning solemn in an instant. He wasn't surprised, as this happened almost as often as the overheating of the shield. He simply began to carry her back.

"We'll break for now, Hachi," Ginjo said as he gave the pink-haired vizard a slight nod of thanks. Hachi was the only other person in the training room with them. The rest of the gang had pretty much gone back to their daily routines after the first couple of days. Somewhere in the corner of his mind, Ginjo was glad that they weren't here to watch. Otherwise, they'd have useless things to say, just to irritate him.

"I'm sorry," Nel apologized quietly as she rested against him, her eyes closed.

"For what?" he inquired tonelessly.

"Wasting your time," she replied, downhearted.

"…"

"…You should go back to your life." When she had asked him to train her, she never expected him to put his life on hold and be here with her twenty-four/seven. Fight, eat, sleep, get up, and do it all over again. That was how they'd been spending their time. He'd been skipping school and didn't even go home. A part of her was happy, because she felt she could depend on him. After all, she didn't really have time and needed to regain her powers as soon as possible. On the other hand, she felt guilty for keeping him from his family and his life.

Ginjo scowled. "You should shut up and sleep." No way in hell was he going to let her out of his sight this time. He wasn't going to give her the opportunity to try to slip past him again. "We'll pick up once you get your strength back."

"But—"

"I've already put a shit load of time into this, squirt," he cut her off with agitation. "So, if I don't get what I want out of it, I'm gonna be severely pissed."

Zero tact, but Nel understood. Had it been spoken by a normal person, what Ginjo just said might have sounded something like 'since we've invested so much time into this already, let's not give up until we see some results'. After spending so much time with him, she got pretty good at deciphering Ginjo Speak.

She thought it cute how he liked to make himself sound extremely self-centered in order to dispel the awkwardness he felt about helping her. Although this time, it didn't help lighten her spirits like it usually did. Without strength to argue, she complied and allowed sleep to take her.

* * *

In the living quarters above the garage, Uriya and Himeko, who had just arrived to check on Nel's progress, watched as Ginjo paced the floor. "Something's wrong," the blue-haired youth muttered, his underlying frustration evident.

"I assume you are referring to Neliel," Uriya said as he glanced towards the closed door to Hiyori's room where the green-haired arrancar was currently resting.

Ginjo ran a hand through his hair, scratching irritably as he scowled in thought. "Yeah. I don't know what, but _something_ ain't right. It's not like she's injured or anything, and she's fine at start up…actually, she's getting better and better at start up. But then somehow…" He wasn't even sure how to describe it.

Himeko tilted her head. "It goes kaput?"

The vizard threw up his arms, heaving in exasperation. "Yeah. I don't get it. It's pissing me off!"

Uriya had also been noticing what Ginjo was trying to describe, and he had a theory that he wanted to test out. "Ginjo. Force Neliel to use her Cero in your next match. Preferably at the beginning."

Ginjo stopped his pacing. "You can't be serious," he said dryly. They hadn't even been doing anything _remotely_ near that level of power thus far. "At the rate she's been going, I doubt she'd even _think_ about trying to pull a Cero."

"You can coax it out of her by attacking with your own Cero," Uriya said simply.

Himeko was stunned. "What?!"

"You're kidding!" Ginjo said, equally stunned.

"You said she was improving at start up," Uriya retorted calmly.

"Yeah, but still…if she can't block she'd be screwed!" Ginjo argued.

"Hime is here." Then a thought occurred to Uriya. "Ginjo…you've never seen Neliel fight when we were in Hueco Mundo, have you?"

Ginjo raised a brow. "No. Why the hell does that matter?"

"It doesn't," the raven-haired youth replied promptly. "Just trust me. If you use a Cero, she will definitely retaliate in kind," he reassured, carefully suppressing his smirk.

* * *

_She sheathed her blade as she looked upon his worn out form on the desert sand. This was becoming far too routine. She was growing tired of it. "Why me, Nnoitora? We've been through this so many times already. There are others who I'm sure would be happy to take you up on this." She wasn't the only Espada who outranked him after all. "I, however, have no interest in a senseless death match with you."_

_The lanky arrancar gave a humorless grin as he pulled himself to his feet. "You don't get it, do you, Neliel? That is precisely the reason why…"_

* * *

Nel shook her head to get off that train of thought, not wanting to recall the rest of that conversation. She furrowed her brows slightly. That had been their last battle…

She sat up and swung her legs off the side of the bed, taking a deep breath to clear her mind. It seemed no matter how hard she tried, she would never be able to avoid having to do battle. Although, lately, the act of fighting didn't give her the same burdensome feeling that it usually did.

Back when she was in Las Noches, she never fought without a reason and would only do it out of necessity. Fighting wasn't something she particularly enjoyed, because in Hueco Mundo, fighting and death came hand in hand. Where there was a fight, death was almost certain to follow. Even when simply training with a fellow comrade, an 'accidental' death was not unusual and not something anyone cared enough to do anything about.

Until now, she had only known battle to be destructive, and fighting with Nnoitora was the epitome of such experiences. He was always intense…desperate…wanting blood…wanting death.

She hated it.

However, the past weeks fighting with Ginjo seemed to have breathed new meaning into the act. Crossing blades with Ginjo was equally intense, but for the first time, she was able to experience fighting without death hanging in the air. It was constructive, not destructive. It was, surprisingly, rather exhilarating. Considering who her sparring partner was…or rather, who he _used_ to be…it was strange, to say the least, that _he_ would be the one to spark that interest in her. Had she fought him back then, as Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, it probably wouldn't have been the same.

She looked to her zanpakutou lying at the foot of the bed and narrowed her eyes. _Nnoitora…_

As much as she disliked it, she had one final battle to fight with that beast. Picking up her blade, she walked out of the room with purposeful strides.

* * *

Back in the underground training room once again, Nel and Ginjo stood at the ready to begin the next round while Uriya, Himeko, and, of course, the ever agreeable Hachi watched from a safe distance. Nel had her blade in hand and was ready to go, but then Ginjo spoke. "What say we try something a bit different this time?"

She raised a brow in query. "Different how?"

He grinned. "Different…like this…"

Nel's eyes widened as a hollow's mask began to materialize on Ginjo's face. The shape of the mask was simple, much like Ichigo's. However, instead of the red stripes that swirled down from the top, Ginjo's mask had blue markings underneath the eyes, reminding her of the ones that Grimmjow used to have.

This was the first time she'd ever seen his mask. The feeling of his reiatsu had also changed as well, taking on a quality similar to that of an arrancar's. It was so unexpected that she nearly forgot to dodge when he came at her.

Taking advantage of her slightly confused state, Ginjo kicked her in the gut and sent her back, using this time to charge up his Cero. He wasn't really sure what Uriya was trying to figure out, but he was out of ideas himself, so he might as well give it a try.

When Nel sat back up, her eyes widened even more at the sight of the red-black glow accumulating in the palm of his hand. _A Cero?!_ She scrambled to her feet just as Ginjo let it loose, ready to receive.

Ginjo was beginning to get nervous when he saw her just standing there doing nothing. Even her zanpakutou was held almost casually off to the side. _What the heck is she thinking?!!_

He didn't have to wonder for long though, and his jaws practically dropped to the ground as he watched her swallow his Cero whole. She didn't deflect it. She didn't dodge it. No. _She frickin' ate it!!_

As if that hadn't been mind boggling enough, two seconds later she spat the thing back out, twice as powerful as before, and directed it full force towards him at high speed. Caught completely off guard, Ginjo had enough time to swear, and that was about it.

In short…he got hit.

As he was shrouded within the cloud of dust after the explosion, Nel collapsed to her hands and knees, shaking and breathing hard, wondering again why something like that should take such a toll on her.

Uriya saw the whole thing and deduced that he had been correct. It wasn't that Nel was weak. In fact, judging by the power of that Cero Doble, which was more powerful than he had ever seen it before by far, she was definitely on par with the rest of them. But for some reason, she was unable to maintain that high level of reiatsu. The rate at which her reserve depleted was unnaturally quick, and he wasn't sure what the cause could be.

Standing beside him, Himeko gasped as she began to fret. "Gin-chan!!" She was about to leap into action to go heal him, but Uriya caught her hand. She looked up at him, unable to understand why he stopped her.

"It wasn't a direct hit," he explained.

That only eased her a little. After all, she _did_ just see her brother disappear in the middle of a huge mushroom cloud. "Yes, but…" Then she caught the completely calm and relaxed expression on Uriya's face and, somehow, she felt more reassured by it.

The raven-haired boy cast his eyes towards the settling dust. "He'll be fine." Then he turned around with a small smirk of amusement on his features and started walking, tugging her along. This was probably a good time to leave.

Himeko took an uncertain glance over her shoulder back at her brother as she was being dragged away. "Um…where are we going, Uriya?" she asked, somewhat confused.

"I have no particular destination in mind," he replied. "Shall we go and see where we end up?"

Her attention was on him now, excited. "Ooh! You mean like a mini adventure?!"

He closed his eyes with a small smile. "If that is what you wish to call it."

Her mood brightened even more. "Then might this adventure take us to…say…the ice cream parlor? Since it's so hot outside?"

"Perhaps."

"Then what about Sunflower Seams?"

"The twenty-four hour handicrafts store?" He would never understand why _anyone_ would need a handicrafts store to be in operation twenty-four hours a day.

She nodded. "U-huh!"

"My instinct tells me that would be highly improbable," he replied immediately.

She chuckled at his words. "Come on, Uriya. It's not _that_ bad."

He heaved a small sigh. "You say that because _you_ are not the one who lived with Ishida Uryuu for over sixteen years."

"We can get something for Ishida-kun!" she tried to persuade. "I bet it'll make him happy!"

"I'm sure it would. However, please believe me when I say that he doesn't require anything more from that place."

Himeko twisted her lips. Then her face lit up as an idea came to her. "OK, I know! What if we make a stop at that one place that sells all those cool swords? _Then_ will you go to Sunflower Seams with me?" She leaned forward a bit and tilted her head, looking up to see his expression.

"That…may be negotiable."

Her laughter rang through the training room. The two of them continued to plan their adventure as they took their leave.

Back on the field, Ginjo who was lying on his back finally pushed himself back up to a sitting position. _What the hell was that?!_ If he hadn't dodged at the last second, he would have been fried. But still, he didn't dodge fast enough to get completely out of the way. His right arm was burned, and the rest of him was lightly singed.

He cursed Uriya internally as he checked out his arm and hissed at the pain, finally understanding that look on the Quincy's face. _That bastard! He knew this was gonna happen!_

By now, Nel had also regained her strength and had made her way over to Ginjo, dropping to her knees beside him with worry. "Grimm! I'm so sorry! Are you all right?!"

He scowled, still inspecting the burns on his arm. "Nothing I can't handle."

"Let me see that." She placed her hands on his arm gently, careful not to press too hard as she began looking it over.

He scowled even deeper, feeling somewhat agitated. "It's fine, squirt. I'm not some pansy who can't even take a—"

His eyes went wide. His mind, as well as his body, suddenly froze as Nel held his arm up and began to lick it with her tongue from the wrist up. Lightly, and ever so softly. When his brain and mouth finally reestablished connection, he asked, "Wh…what are you doing?"

She looked up, innocent eyes reflecting only concern. "I can't heal like Himeko can, but my saliva does have some mild regenerative qualities. Just bear with me for a bit, all right?" Then she returned to her task.

If his brain was functioning like normal, he would have thought her extremely naïve, dense, and oblivious to the max. But as it stood, Ginjo's brain was currently nothing more than a pile of mush. The fact that Nel had absolutely _no_ intention whatsoever of seducing him as she diligently applied her brand of first aid aside, the truth of the matter was…plain and simple…there was a beautiful woman licking up his arm. There was _no way_ that this was _not_ going to have _some_ kind of effect on him. After all, as Risa often liked to remind him as she tried to push her favorite books onto him…he was a healthy hot blooded male. He wasn't immune to this sort of thing. He just never bothered to give it much thought since there were usually more important things on his mind. Like fighting…and food…and more fighting… But now that the subject was practically shoved in his face…he could do nothing but acknowledge it.

This moment of revelation, however, did not last long. Before his mind could consciously grasp onto the idea of 'I think I might be turned on', his brain experienced yet another shut down…this time for a completely different reason. In that brief span of time while Ginjo's brain was _trying_ to kick-start his far-too-dormant hormones, Nel had somehow managed to produce enough saliva to have his entire arm completely _drenched_ in it. He could only watch with speechless, abject horror as the thick, clear liquid literally dripped off his limb.

"There," Nel announced. "Just let it sit for a while, and the pain should begin to subside."

He blinked at her, the look of horror still on his face. Her eyes were sincere, her expression apologetic. She was serious. She wasn't just trying to mess with him. And somehow, his complaints died at his lips. Propping his elbow up on his knee, he clawed his uninjured hand through his hair with a sigh that was a mix of exasperation and resignation, thinking that he never appreciated his sister's healing abilities more than he did today.

Once again, he cursed Uriya internally. _That __**damn**__ bastard! He __**knew**__ this was gonna happen!!_

At least his arm didn't hurt anymore. Though whether it was from the 'treatment' or from the shock was still highly debatable.

As Nel watched traces of his internal struggles flash across his face, her lips curled up into a smile. However, it was a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

Unbeknownst to these two, there had been another pair of spectators watching these events unfold. Perched on a rock in the distance, Shinji sighed gloomily as he pulled the binoculars away from his eyes. "Some guys get all the luck."

Standing beside him with her hands behind her head, Hiyori glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, unfazed. "What? You wanted someone ta spit on ya? Why didn't you just say so?"

Shinji frowned with irritation. "I never said—"

Too late. The moment he turned his head to face her, a huge blob of spit splattered onto his cheek.

"I've never spat on anybody's face like that before," she said, nonchalant. "You should treat it like a first kiss."

He could only seethe. "Who'd want to be spat on by a flat-chested brat like you?!"

* * *

The next morning in Shinji's living quarters above the garage, Ginjo entered the kitchenette to find Nel fiddling with the blender. It would appear that everyone else had already gone down to the shops to begin the day's work. "What the heck are you doing?" he asked as he sat on a bar stool at the island counter, trying to compete with the whirring sound of the blender.

Standing on the other side of the same counter, she flashed him an excited smile. "Grimm! This thing's great!" she said with some amount of fascination. "We never had anything like this in Las Noches."

He snorted. _Not like there was a need for it._ All that bastard Aizen ever drank was tea, and it wasn't like anyone else's preferences were important. Then he quirked a brow, looking somewhat perplexed. "How would you even know if there was or wasn't one?" She was an Espada after all. She wouldn't have had kitchen duties.

"Pesche's a great cook," Nel began, a wistful smile on her features as she recalled the past while cutting up more fruits to add into the blender. "He used to make me all kinds of food. I spent a lot of time in the kitchen just watching him and helping him out when I didn't have any assignments of my own."

"Why?" he asked bluntly. He was honestly curious. It seemed like a strange thing for an Espada to do.

She shrugged. "It was enjoyable."

Ginjo thought that at least now he knew why she could cook so well. However, at the same time, he really had to wonder what business she had being in Aizen's army, and as the third Espada, no less. She liked relatively normal things. Aside from her passion for food, she also had an insatiable appetite for books and would often spend her break times between their training sessions reading. She had no desire for carnage and destruction. The way she had agreed to put on Soul Society's leash…she was obviously concerned for other people's well being. And when she laughed, her laughter was like that of a child's. To him, she was essentially a pure being.

Compared to that, when he was an arrancar, his own passion for food had gone dormant while his bloodlust had quadrupled. Even Ulquiorra, while he didn't have the same bloodlust, the word 'mercy' definitely wasn't in the cuarta Espada's vocabulary.

Nel was like a walking contradiction. A hollow who was pure. A pacifist in a deadly army. An innocent face that would sometimes spout not-so-innocent things. A woman with the naïveté of a child. If nothing else, she was definitely unusual.

While Ginjo was lost in thought, Nel had finished mixing up her concoction and poured it into a huge glass. Coming around to stand beside him, she handed him the drink. "Try it!"

He did. It wasn't bad. It tasted like fruit punch…but different. "What's in it?" he asked. "It's kinda weird."

"Mmm…let's see," she said as she went through the ingredients in her mind. "There were pineapples, strawberries, apples…and a bunch of other fruits that were lying around."

"Grapes?" Because it decidedly tasted like grapes.

"Ah!" Her eyes lit up in understanding. "No. That grape flavor you taste is actually Mashiro's cold medicine. There's about half a bottle of it in there," she reported innocently.

"…what?" Did he hear her right?

She leaned closer with a finger placed at her lips, speaking with a lowered voice. "There's also a little bit of sake that I stole from Kensei, but don't tell him, all right?"

Ginjo looked at the empty glass in his hand, belatedly thinking that perhaps he shouldn't have downed the whole thing quite so quickly. "…Anything _else_ in here I should know about?"

She shrugged, still smiling sweetly. "Nothing much. Just this and that from Shinji's cabinet. A spoonful of flu medicine…another spoonful of cough syrup…oh, and some ground up extra strength sleeping pills!"

He tensed as his eyes widened. _Shit!_ But he was already beginning to feel the effects. He had to hold onto the counter just to keep himself from swaying.

"Individually, they probably won't have any effect on you," Nel said quietly as her smile slipped away. "But…this way, I'm sure even you will sleep for a little while."

She had come to realize some time ago that there was something wrong with her, and no amount of training was going to fix it. She could feel it. Continuing would only be a waste of time, and she had long since been out of time.

However, getting away from Ginjo wasn't so easy. He kept a close eye on her and was aware of her even when he was sleeping. It was as though he thought she might try to go back to Hueco Mundo on her own…and he was right. Truth was, she had never intended to hold up her end of their deal to let him come with her. Her condition only convinced her that it was the right thing to do. So, in the end, this was the only way that she could think of.

Ginjo was struggling to maintain consciousness, but he was quickly losing the battle. He tried to glare at her, but his vision was blurring so much he couldn't even see her clearly. He wanted to swear like he'd never sworn before, but he was so out of it he no longer had the ability to think straight.

Nel placed a hand on his cheek as she leaned in, gently pressing her lips against his with a whispered apology. "I'm sorry." She lingered for a brief moment then, reluctantly, she pulled away and looked into his hazy eyes with regret.

Ginjo scowled with a last-ditch effort to fight off the darkness, but it was futile. In the next second, he passed out and slumped over the counter.

Nel turned around and lightly tapped the air space before her. With a final look over her shoulder, she disappeared into Garganta.

* * *

A/N: This is probably one of my favorite chapters, so I would love to hear your thoughts!

With Kon being in Ginjo's body for such an extended period of time…I kinda feel sorry for Michiko. LOL!

And I probably don't have to say this since anyone who reads this story is obviously a smart cookie, but just in case…that concoction that Nel made for Ginjo? Yeah. **DON'T TRY IT AT HOME!!** Consequences could be fatal. I'm dead serious. I don't want my readers dropping like flies.

Well, now that that's out of the way, here's an omake!

* * *

**Omake:**

(On a random late night during Ginjo and Nel's training days)

He made his way light-footed up the stairs.

She dropped in silently from the window.

Their paths converged outside the door to Hiyori's room, both surprised by each other's presence, and both knowing full well that Hiyori wasn't the one in the room. "What are you doing here?" they whispered in unison.

Love held up his pen and notepad with a grin. "Research for 'Dye'."

Risa held up her cell phone, the camera function ready. "My apartment needs cleaning."

He raised a brow. "But they're both in their spirit forms. How're you gonna get a picture?"

"Soul Society issue," she explained shortly. "Latest thing. Just got it from Urahara." Then she crouched down in stealth mode. "You ready?"

He followed her example then gave a nod.

Slowly and quietly, Risa opened the door, revealing two figures within the dark room. Nel was sound asleep, lying comfortably in Hiyori's bed while Ginjo was sitting on the floor with his back propped up against the bed frame, also asleep.

Risa frowned with displeasure at their very respectable and uncompromising sleeping arrangement. "What's wrong with that brat? A woman practically falls into his lap, and he _still_ doesn't know what to do with her."

Love tried to suppress his chuckles. "Don't let Ichigo hear you say that, or he'll have your head." He scratched his temple with his pen as he looked at the uninspiring sleeping pair. Then in his notepad, under the category 'Shirosaki Ginyo's blooming love life', he scribbled his notes: _Exercise artistic license._ If he was lucky, maybe Starrk wouldn't mind letting him bounce a couple of ideas off of him…maybe.

"So, are you gonna return that phone and get your money back?" he asked.

Risa adjusted her glasses. "No," she replied, not ready to give up. "He just needs more reference material." Since there wasn't anything she could do here at the moment, she turned and left, her mind already making a mental list of the books she would have to pull off the shelf for Ginjo the next day.

Love watched her go with a shake of his head. _Doesn't she know that he just gives them all to Kon?_

* * *

A/N: Whereas Ginjo means 'silver dawn', Ginyo means 'silver night'. The character for night (yo) can also be pronounced 'ya' or 'yoru', depending on use. I just picked the one that sounds/works the best. LOL! It's still weird, though, and doesn't roll off the tongue very well. But I guess it doesn't matter that much, since it may or may not be mentioned again. Remember, I'm not an expert in Japanese. My words are not gospel. Heh.

Oh, and if you're wondering where Hiyori sleeps while Ginjo and Nel took over her room, she's staying with Risa.

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo.

* * *

**Chapter Ten:**

He woke up with a splitting headache, and before he even opened his eyes he wished he could simply go back to sleep if it meant the pounding in his head would go away. However, as soon as he remembered how he had ended up falling asleep in an awkward and decidedly uncomfortable position with the side of his face pressed against a kitchen counter, his head immediately shot up.

Bad idea.

Ginjo held his head in his hand as the headache magnified ten fold. "Damn it!" he hissed as he willed his body to function, stumbling his way over to the nearest window even as stars were still dancing before his eyes. "That idiot! I'm gonna _kill_ her!!"

Jumping out the window, he hopped up onto the roof and started moving with haste. Pulling out his cell phone as he leapt from roof to roof, he made a call. As soon as the other side picked up, he spoke. "She took off!"

It didn't take a genius to figure out who 'she' was. "What happened?" Uriya inquired calmly. "When?"

Ginjo grumbled. "Never mind that!" Like hell he was going to tell Uriya how he got tricked. He'd never be able to live it down! "I need a way to Hueco Mundo!"

Then he stopped abruptly as a figure appeared before him from seemingly out of nowhere, blocking his path. Ginjo looked up, a bit stunned to see who it was. "…never mind," he said distractedly into the phone. "I think I found it." He hung up, not caring that Uriya was calling his name from the other end.

"Gotta say," Ginjo began somewhat offhandedly, "never thought I'd see _you_ again…Halibel." He vaguely remembered that, once upon a time, Halibel had been Nel's fraccion before becoming a member of the Espada herself. So, it was probably no coincidence that she was appearing before him now of all times.

"Is it true?" Halibel asked, bypassing greetings and getting straight to the point. "Did Nel-sama return to Hueco Mundo?"

"Ah."

"She's looking for Nnoitora."

"I know."

She studied him briefly. "Do you intend to fight him?"

"Of course," he replied, thinking that to be a stupid question. "Why else would I be going?"

"Nnoitora had long since surpassed me in strength," she said. "With Starrk staying out of the scene, he is now essentially the primera Espada."

"Your point?" Ginjo asked, unsurprised and unimpressed by the information she had just divulged.

"He's much stronger than you remember, Grimmjow," she warned. "You shouldn't take him too lightly."

The blue-haired youth snickered. "Talking so highly of that bastard… Doesn't sound like you, Halibel. What? Did he do that to you or something?" He looked pointedly at her armless shoulder. She didn't reply, so he took her silence as confirmation. "Aizen's dead," he said with a more serious tone. "Those numbers don't mean shit anymore. So, are ya gonna let me through or not? I don't have time to stand around and chitchat."

Halibel gave him a long hard look. Then she tapped the air behind her and a portal opened up. "I am assisting you for one reason only. Know that I will hunt you down if anything should happen to Nel-sama."

Ginjo grinned as he sauntered past her. At least she spoke his language. A favor for a favor. Just the way he liked it. "Thanks for the threat. Maybe I'll bring ya back a souvenir."

As Garganta closed up behind Ginjo, Halibel contemplated on her decision. Of all people, she never thought that she would leave Nel's safety in the hands of the one who had once been the wildest, most wayward, uncontrollable, and insubordinate Espada of them all.

* * *

Ginjo narrowed his eyes as he stepped out of the jagged portal into a quiet desert with nothing but sand dunes all around. He had a pretty good idea where he needed to go. Nel had mentioned a location in her sleep once. _El Bosque Blanco…_

Belatedly, he realized that he should have had Halibel open the portal somewhere closer to his destination. "Damn it!" Well, it was too late to gripe about it now. He better start moving if he wanted to get there in time.

At times like this, he was grateful for the endless nights he used to spend searching for Ulquiorra. Because of that, he was now able to use shunpo for an extended period of time without getting tired. That, however, did not mean that he was any happier about the situation he was in.

Disgruntled, he cursed under his breath. "Truckloads of women in three different dimensions, and I have to get hung up on the one with _no front teeth_!!"

* * *

On the streets of Karakura, Uriya spoke into his phone. "Ginjo…Ginjo!" The line went dead. He stared at the device in his hand, his mind already running at a hundred miles per second as he tried to figure out how he should proceed.

Standing beside him, Himeko regarded the raven-haired boy with concern. "What's wrong?"

Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "It would appear that Neliel has returned to Hueco Mundo on her own to seek out Nnoitora."

"Eh?!" she exclaimed with surprise. "Nnoitora? Why?" She never heard anything about that creepy Espada. What did he have to do with anything?

"That's not all," he continued. "Ginjo has gone after her alone as well."

"EH?!! But how?!"

"I'm not sure," he admitted, his voice still carrying the usual calmness, "but…I've just lost all traces of his reiatsu." It certainly was a mystery, but now wasn't the time to try to figure it out. They had to act. "Let's go. I'll explain on the way."

Himeko trailed behind him as he took off down the street. "Where're we going?"

"Urahara Shouten."

* * *

Nel entered El Bosque Blanco…the White Forest. As the name suggested, it was a forest where all the trees were white. However, since the trees were formed from quarts, their branches were bare, making a journey through such a place feel more like a walk through pillars of petrification.

She pushed forward until she located an unpleasantly familiar figure perched casually upon a boulder in a small clearing, coming to a stop about twenty feet away from him, preferring not to get too close.

Nnoitora grinned. "Look who's finally here."

"Dondochakka and Pesche…where are they?" she asked with calm seriousness.

He couldn't help but snicker. "Don't tell me you're really that gullible, Neliel," he said, his tone offhanded. "You watched me slice through that useless oaf with your own eyes. Did you really believe that he'd survive?"

She clenched her fist wordlessly.

"The insignificant insect on the other hand…" His grin widened as he looked off to the side and waved his hand in a beckoning motion.

From somewhere behind a cluster of trees, Tesla stepped forth, dragging a tied up and uncooperative Pesche along with him.

"Hey! Where are you taking me, Eye Patch?!" Pesche hollered as he desperately pulled in the opposite direction to no avail.

Tesla paid him no heed.

"Let go, or I'll Infinite Slick you to death! I mean it!"

Nel breathed an internal sigh of relief. At least Pesche was still alive. And from the looks of it, he hadn't lost his spirit either. "Pesche!"

Pesche turned at the sound of her voice. He was surprised, not just to see her, but to see her in her true form. "Nel-sama!" Then surprise quickly turned into concern. She shouldn't have come.

Nel looked from Pesche to her former comrade. "I came as you have asked, Nnoitora. Let him go."

The lanky arrancar, his grin never leaving his face, gave Tesla the signal to cut their prisoner loose. Then as Pesche began to make his way across the sand to his master, Nnoitora swung his crescent blade down upon Pesche's back, cutting from his right shoulder down to his left hip, severing his spine in the process. With a cry of agony, the injured arrancar fell limply onto the sand, face down.

Nel stared with wide-eyed shock, a cold chill running up her spine. "PESCHE!!"

He did not respond, did not move. His life had already been extinguished.

She turned to Nnoitora with fury. "He has nothing to do with this! Why did you do it?!"

"Come now," Nnoitora began, unperturbed. "You're an intelligent woman. I'm sure you can figure it out."

"…it wasn't necessary!" she said, her voice shaky as she tried to contain her emotions.

"Oh, but it was," he retorted casually.

She glared at his lack of remorse.

He held her gaze, definitely liking the look in her eyes. "So, Neliel," he said, his voice almost cooing as he licked his blood soaked blade. "Was that incentive enough for you to fight to kill this time?"

Nel's eyes widened and her rage soared as she realized that the sole reason Nnoitora had killed Pesche was to get her riled up. Blinking back unshed tears, she unsheathed her blade and moved in with sonido.

Nnoitora met her half way and parried her strike, still wearing that sickening smile. When he spoke again, his voice was low but intense, conveying decades of pent up emotions. "I'll prove that even when you fight with everything you've got, there's no way you can defeat me. Not anymore. You're gonna die here, Neliel."

She narrowed her eyes but didn't bother wasting her breath with a reply. It was time to fight. Jumping back, she swung her blade again as their battle began in earnest.

* * *

From the shadows under his hat, Urahara looked at the pair of teenagers standing before him as he processed the information he had just been given, his expression neutral. The Ishida boy had just briefly explained to him the gist of what was going on and requested passage to Hueco Mundo in order to retrieve Ginjo and Nel.

"I see," the shop owner finally said, not feeling particularly surprised. Ever since Ginjo came to ask him for help, he had pretty much expected something of the sort to take place. "And so," he said, turning to Uriya as he carefully considered how to phrase his next question. "Will you be traveling alone? Or…" His eyes moved to Himeko.

The orange-haired girl opened her mouth and was about to protest to the exiled shinigami's implications, but Uriya beat her to it.

"Hime's powers will be needed," the boy said, his tone unwavering, allowing no room for dispute. "She's coming with me."

Urahara wanted to disagree but couldn't come up with a valid enough reason to prevent the girl from going. After all, her brother's life was in danger. Who was he to tell her not to go? It simply wasn't his place, so he bit back his unspoken selfish request. "…of course." He adjusted his hat as he stepped away. "Please follow me."

As for Himeko, she was still looking at Uriya with a mixture of shock and adoration. For him to say that she was needed with such defensive certainty, to her, that was a thousand times more meaningful than if he were to say 'I love you' over and over again, acknowledging her in a way she had always so desperately wanted, easing her deep-seated insecurities.

On the way, Urahara made a stop at a storage closet. Digging out a medium sized box, he handed it over to the young Quincy. "This is for you."

Uriya gave the man a questioning look.

"Your father left it here in my care a while ago with strict instructions to give it to you if the occasion should ever arise," Urahara explained as the boy opened the box.

Uriya stared at the item in the box, rather speechless.

Himeko clasped her hands together excitedly. "It's a Quincy outfit!"

Urahara watched the boy's reaction with amusement, thinking that Uryuu certainly had foresight to realize that, when faced with otherworldly challenges, just like he and Ichigo had done, their children would come to this place for help instead of turning to their parents. He grinned as he casually fanned himself. "It would seem Ishida-san wants to make sure that you go into battle in style."

"This is hardly the time to be concerned over such trivial things," Uriya retorted.

"Aww, but you'll break his heart!" the shinigami said, enjoying this just a bit too much. "Ishida-san brought it here especially for you! It won't take that long to change into it. I need time to set things up anyway."

"Oh, yes!" Himeko nodded her agreement. "I think it'll look really sharp!" she encouraged.

Uriya heaved an internal sigh. That was hardly the point. Nonetheless, since it seemed it would be faster to change than to convince this strangely enthusiastic pair otherwise, he reluctantly complied. Taking the clothes, he went into the bathroom and closed the door.

Placing a hand beside his lips, Urahara called out in an almost singsong style. "We'll be waiting for you in the underground chamber!"

* * *

Uriya entered the training room dressed in his brand new Quincy outfit as requested. To him, it looked exactly the same as at least ten others that were in his overstuffed closet. However, knowing his father, there was probably a detail somewhere that made this one unique unto itself: an extra button on the cuffs, a slightly different collar, or perhaps an extra thread in some imperceptible location.

Himeko gasped at the sight of him. "Uriya, you look great! It fits perfectly! Ishida-kun's a genius!" She laughed with a beaming smile. "I'm so jealous! I wish I could have a battle uniform, too!"

He tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear, an absentminded natural gesture, as he allowed himself a moment to muse about her quirky desire. "I'm sure he'd be elated if you asked him to design one for you." And that was no exaggeration. It would probably put his father over the moon if someone went up to him to request such a thing.

"You think so?!" She perked up even more, practically jumping with excitement as she animatedly described her ideal battle outfit. "I think I'd like something form fitting so it would make me more aerodynamic. And waterproof, too! Like what you'd wear to go scuba diving! Oh! And cool battle boots with hidden weapons in the soles…like shuriken!...and mini bazookas lined along the sides! I'd have a little pocket that's really small, but it can fit tons of stuff in it, and I'd use it to carry my lunch! And when I put the suit on, I'd be able to shoot laser beams out of my mouth!"

Uriya tried to hide his smirk as her list of fanciful gadgets continued to grow. He would remind her that his father was a fashion designer and not an engineer…or a weapons specialist…or a technological genius…or a magician, but…that can always wait.

After making sure that everything was in place, Urahara came over to join the pair, looking at Uriya with mock disappointment. "Aw, but you didn't wear the cape…"

The young Quincy shot him a cold glare. "That useless piece of decorative cloth is where I draw the line."

Urahara shook his head with a sigh. "…and he even left you an extra one…"

"Are the preparations complete?" Uriya inquired, ready to change the subject.

"Of course," the shinigami replied with a smirk.

"Are you able to control where the portal opens?"

"That depends. Where is your destination?"

The boy turned his eyes up to the pair of wooden beams jutting out of the rocks. "…Las Noches."

Urahara kept a hand on his hat as he made his way up to one of the beams. "Las Noches it is."

After stabilizing the inter-dimensional portal, Urahara rejoined the pair to speak to Himeko. "Please be careful," he said, his usual carefree tone absent from his voice.

The girl smiled back at him with confidence. "Don't worry, Urahara-san. I've grown plenty! I'm strong enough and old enough to take care of myself now."

He put a smile on his face for her sake. It was true that, with much effort, she truly had blossomed and changed as Kurosaki Himeko. Nevertheless, she could be the most powerful being in existence, and he would still worry about her. "Old enough to take care of yourself, but…not too old for a lollipop, I hope," he said as he retrieved a lollipop from under his hat.

Himeko chuckled, remembering how he used to always shower her with candy and magic tricks when she was a child. "Only if it's strawberry flavored," she replied teasingly.

Urahara grinned. "But of course!" He spun the lollipop around so she could see the flavor she had designated printed on the wrapper.

The orange-haired girl accepted, understanding all that went unspoken. Stepping in closer, she stood up on the tip of her toes and kissed his cheek with gratitude.

The exiled shinigami blinked at the unexpected gesture, and she simply smiled warmly in return. Then turning around, she took Uriya's proffered hand, and the pair entered the dark void without hesitation, the inter-dimensional fabric sealing up behind them.

* * *

A/N: I love Urahara and Himeko's relationship. XD

Uryuu has yet to make an actual appearance in the story, but at least his presence can be felt. LOL! That magic pocket idea Himeko had is kinda based on Doraemon, if anyone knows what that is. And a shuriken is a throwing star.

Ok, so I know absolutely no Spanish, so I hope El Bosque Blanco is grammatically correct. I think it is, but I can't be sure. I figured, if it's wrong, then at least it still fits within the Bleach convention, since I think Kubo sometimes gets it wrong, too. LOL!

I don't really care much for Dondochakka, but I do have a thing for Pesche, so I'm kinda sad that I had to kill him off. Sorry, Pesche!! DX

Random question time: Has Soi Fon's sash always been so neon yellow? Whenever she shows up in the recent episodes, I feel like that's the only thing I can see. It's a rather un-stealthy color, isn't it? LOL!

Updates will probably be slower from here on. Action-y things take me longer to work out, and I will be busy with other things.

Thanks for reading, favs, and alerts! Reviews appreciated!


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo. I now own a chunk of Ichigo's mask... Not really sure what to do with it...

* * *

**Chapter Eleven:**

Uriya and Himeko came out of Garganta practically on Las Noches's doorsteps. Staring up at the grand structure, they found it every bit as impressive as they had remembered it. The exterior walls gave no hint of the battles that had taken place within decades ago, but they were certain that the interior scars would still be there. Just by being here again, it stirred up emotions in them both…memories of a time they would much prefer to not have to see too clearly.

Her hand instinctively reached for his, silently seeking reassurance as her eyes remained on the white castle.

The contact in turn shook him out of his thoughts. "We should hurry. Stay close."

Himeko nodded, and the pair entered to find the halls completely deserted. It was so quiet that even their light footsteps seemed to echo loudly. "Do you think that Nnoitora will still be here after all this time?" she asked quietly.

"No," Uriya replied with certainty in his voice as he continued to lead the way.

She blinked. "Eh?! Then why…?"

"Nnoitora may not be here. However, Szayel definitely will be," he explained. "He believes himself to be a scientist, and he won't be able to give up on the lab and facilities Aizen had provided him with here."

Himeko was still confused as to why they were even looking for the octava Espada. "But…even if that's true…are you sure he's still alive?" Thirty years may not mean much to the dead, but Hueco Mundo wasn't exactly a peaceful place where everybody just sat around and had tea parties all day.

"Nnoitora has never been the thinking type, and whatever is going on right now is too complex and methodical. I am almost positive that Szayel has a part in Nnoitora's scheme."

Remembering how Nnoitora and Szayel had worked together to try to kill Ulquiorra way back when, Himeko thought that that actually made a lot of sense. "So, if we find Szayel," she said, thinking aloud, "that means we find Nnoitora."

* * *

Inside his lab, standing beside the metal table in the center of the room, the pink-haired arrancar hovered over the latest specimen he had acquired. It wasn't anything special. Just an average hollow. But it was fresh…still alive. At the very least, it would make the experience worthwhile, even if there may not be any new knowledge to be gained.

Turning to the fraccion standing beside him, one of the many that are currently in the lab, Szayel selected a scalpel from the tray of cutting utensils his assistant was holding out for him. After giving his specimen a long contemplative look, mentally planning out every step of the process, he got down to work. With his scalpel descending upon the hollow's chest, he was about to make the first incision when a bright white arrow whizzed by his head from behind, barely scraping the skin on his cheek before piercing squarely through one of his fraccions' throat, destroying it instantaneously.

A moment of silence followed when the rest of Szayel's usually bouncy and overly energetic fraccions all froze in shock. Szayel himself, however, remained calm and collected, eventually turning around slowly to greet his guests, his thumb lightly wiping away the small trickle of fresh blood from his cheek. "I've heard the rumors, but…I must say, I never quite believed them until this very moment." He smirked as his eyes traveled down the length of Uriya's body, noting all of his physical features. "Well, well, Ulquiorra…in all your flesh, blood, and Quincy glory…" He could barely contain his snicker.

Uriya remained impassive, positioning himself slightly in front of Himeko in order to guard her.

"To what do I owe the great honor of your visit?" Szayel inquired, a condescending faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Come to reminisce old times, have you?"

"Where is Nnoitora?" Uriya questioned. The fact that Szayel wasn't surprised to see him was verification enough of the arrancar's involvement.

Szayel gave a small sigh. "Direct as always… But I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place," he said with a casual façade of innocence. "I do not know."

"Don't waste my time, Szayel," Uriya stated, his tone apathetic but firm.

The pink-haired arrancar smiled as he realized that his visitor must have already pieced things together. No point in beating around the bush. "And? You expect I will start talking simply because you do not wish to waste time? Need I remind you that you are no longer in a position where you can order me around? You're not even an arrancar anymore, Ulquiorra… Just a mere human."

"As long as the power scale still tips in my favor, what I am is irrelevant," Uriya retorted, unaffected by the insult.

Szayel was momentarily stunned speechless. "Heh… Are you suggesting that—"

"No," the young Quincy said, cutting him off. "I'm not suggesting. I'm stating."

At that, Szayel couldn't help but laugh loudly in ridicule and disbelief. He was obviously being provoked. "If you wanted to fight, you could have just said so. I'd be more than happy to oblige. We _had_ once been brothers after all," he said sardonically, using Aizen's favorite term in referring to the arrancars he created. "But just so you know…the Quincy I fought last time had been soundly beaten."

After having not seen each other for three decades, it was impossible to know who was stronger and by how much. Nonetheless, Uriya knew that the only way to get any information out of Szayel was to beat it out of him. "Hime." He spoke her name quietly without taking his eyes off his target.

"Don't worry," she reassured softly from beside him. "I'll be fine."

With that confirmation, Uriya used hirenkyaku to transport himself over to the table behind Szayel in a split second. Standing on top of the strapped down hollow, he started off their match with a swift but powerful kick to the side of his opponent's head.

Caught off guard by the unexpected level of speed, Szayel took a direct hit and was thrown to the side, knocking over various equipment as he went. He quickly pulled himself back to his feet, unable to stomach the humiliation he had just suffered. However, before he had the time to properly channel his anger into a death glare, Uriya was already following up on that initial kick with a series of arrows, forcing Szayel to evade as a string of explosions went off behind him, missing him only by mere inches.

Chaos ensued as dust began to fill the lab. Szayel's fraccions scrambled around blindly, screaming their master's name while at the same time frantically trying to get out of the way.

Still standing on the abdomen of the unfortunate hollow, pivoting as he chased Szayel around the room with his arrows, Uriya was not about to let up. The key to victory was speed. He had to wrap this up without giving Szayel the time to, one, collect and analyze any sort of data on him and, two, release his zanpakutou.

Before he even finished that thought, Uriya lost sight of the pink-haired arrancar. _Where is he?_ With the clouds of dust obstructing his sense of sight, he remained still and reached out with his other senses. _…Left!_ He dodged to the right, disengaging his bow and pulling out Seele Schneider at the same moment.

Szayel dropped in from above with his zanpakutou in hand, cutting into the space where Uriya had been just a second ago, slicing both the hollow and the lab table in half. "Well, Ulquiorra," he began as he looked at the two halves of the corpse at his feet. "I suppose you're just going to have to be its replacement."

With that said, he moved in, meeting his opponent's blade with his own. However, it didn't take long for Szayel to be reminded of one of the reasons why Ulquiorra had ranked fourth during their Espada days when he himself had only been eighth. When it came down to the art of swordsmanship, there was no question that Ulquiorra's skills were superior to his own. He was getting far more cut up than he liked. If this continued, he was going to lose. "What is this?" he inquired, still insisting on wearing a smile despite being at the receiving end of Seele Schneider's attacks. "I seem to recall the other Quincy's fighting style being much more flashy and explosive."

"I presume you are referring to this," Uriya said as he tossed a gintou at Szayel and jumped back. After reciting the incantation for Wolke, the silver tube ignited, engulfing the arrancar within its explosion.

Uriya waited at the ready and, to his surprise, Szayel came charging out of the smoke with his zanpakutou raised, looking as though that point blank explosion had absolutely no effect on him. The raven-haired youth brought his blade up and blocked the downward strike that was aimed at his head. Then with his other hand, he pulled out a second Seele Schneider, activating it and slicing it across Szayel's abdomen in one swift motion.

Uriya stared at the pink-haired heap that dropped to the floor. Something wasn't right. Even if Szayel was strong enough to withstand the explosion, there should still be signs of it on his body. Yet, his clothes showed no wear and…now that he got a better look…aside from the huge gash across his abdomen, all of Szayel's cut wounds had disappeared.

The young Quincy's eyes widened as realization hit. _It's a double!_ But it was already too late. Szayel pierced his right shoulder from behind, his zanpakutou continuing to protrude out the front until the hilt of his blade met Uriya's shoulder blade. The boy clenched his teeth. The pain shot through his body even as he lost feeling in his right arm, causing the weapon he held in that hand to clatter uselessly to the floor.

With one hand still holding on to Fornicaras, Szayel reached around with his other hand to place a firm hold on Uriya's throat, a sadistic smile on his features. "Surprised to see me?"

* * *

Nel gasped in pain as her back hit the sand forcefully once again. It was no use. Her energy was spent. As frustrating as it was to admit, she had lost and this was the end.

She closed her eyes as Nnoitora brought his zanpakutou down on her, aiming for her neck. However, instead of severing her head, he merely trapped her, sinking the tips of his crescent blade into the sand on either sides of her neck, stopping only when the blade was a hair's width from cutting into her throat.

"You know…" he began with a reminiscing tone as he straddled her, sitting on her abdomen. "It was great for a while after Aizen died cuz I could do whatever the hell I want, whenever I want, however I want, and I didn't have to take orders from anybody. But in truth…things just got real boring, real fast." Since Ulquiorra and Starrk both disappeared and Barragan bought it, Halibel had been his only challenge. Once he defeated her, there had been nothing left for him, and he found himself stuck in this hell hole with no worthy opponent.

She opened her eyes and glared wordlessly up at him, not sure where he was going with this.

He removed his blade, frowning darkly down at her. With his fist in her shirt, he pulled her up as he leaned closer, intimidating. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this…anticipating our final battle. But even after all this time…you still have the knack to piss me the hell off." He shook his head. "I'm so god damn disappointed, it ain't even funny. What the hell was that?! A frickin' Gillian can put up a better fight!"

She remained silent, her eyes defiant.

"I went through all this trouble to have you returned to your true form…and _this_ is what I get?!" he exclaimed as he pushed her back down, dropping his hold on her.

Nel narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Nnoitora sneered. "You really should thank me, Neliel. If it weren't for me…you'd still be just an annoying and pathetic brat crawling around in the dirt right now."

* * *

Uriya looked at the fake lying on the floor…the decoy. "A clone?"

Standing behind him, Szayel chuckled lightly. "Don't be absurd. I am a perfect being. There only needs to be one of me." He threw a glance to his lookalike, welcoming the chance to explain his genius. "It's more like the shinigami's gigai, only better. It has my intellect and was made to obey my every command. The soul within has no control and only serves to make it move."

In other words, Uriya thought, it was essentially a smart and submissive robot that Szayel had made in his own image, using hollows as batteries. He really couldn't argue the fact that it was a creation befitting a narcissistic madman such as Szayel. Most likely, it was stashed behind one of the many trap doors in the lab, ready to be pulled out whenever the situation called for it. He wouldn't be surprised if there were actually more than one.

"You could have killed me," Uriya noted flatly. "Why didn't you?"

"Don't worry. That'll come. I didn't pierce your vitals because I want your body intact," Szayel said with a smile. "I let the other Quincy get away, but…you won't be so lucky." He turned the hilt of Fornicaras, twisting its blade to agitate Uriya's wound.

The boy tensed, hissing to the pain as cold sweat beaded on his forehead and even more blood soaked into his white garments. Looking at his captor from the corner of his eyes, he could see that Szayel was actually looking a bit worse for wear himself, indicating that the arrancar actually did take the hit from his gintou. "You may regret your decision to not kill me when you had the chance," he said as he took a shaky breath and tried to maintain control over his pain. "Your condition is no better than mine."

"You are forgetting that I can easily heal myself," Szayel stated. All it took was the consumption of one fraccion.

Uriya smirked. "Can you?"

The pink-haired arrancar frowned at that unexpected reaction.

"Doesn't it seem rather quiet in here to you?" the Quincy inquired.

Szayel perked up his ears then. It was true. The place was almost dead silent. And now that most of the dust had settled, he realized with alarm that his fraccions had all but disappeared. Normally, he would just think that they had simply vacated. However, with his opponent's implications just now… "What did you do?!" he asked with frustration, twisting his blade further inside the boy's wound.

"Purified."

Szayel's eyes widened with shock…shock not simply over what was said but also the voice that said it. Casting his eyes around the room, he found the only other person who was still in the lab with them…the girl he had all but forgotten about since the battle began.

Himeko looked back at him, her brows coming together in a serious frown as she repeated herself. "Your fraccions…they've been purified." That was the way they had planned it before they got here, and she was only relieved that she was able to fulfill her part in time:

_"Szayel has the ability to heal himself by consuming his fraccions," Uriya explained. "In order to ensure our victory, we must take away that advantage of his."_

_Himeko immediately understood. "Leave that to me," she said without hesitation._

_"They're not particularly strong, but there are many," he warned. "I will keep Szayel occupied, but you must take them quickly."_

_She nodded. "Right."_

_"Be careful."_

_"I will."_

_He considered her for a moment. "Hime. Please remember one thing: as long as I am still breathing, I can be saved by your powers. Concentrate on your task. No matter what happens, please refrain from doing anything rash."_

Even though Uriya had said as much, the sight of him being skewered and put in a choke hold was undoubtedly one of the most difficult things she'd had to endure. But even if he hadn't said anything beforehand, there wasn't anything she could do in this situation anyway. All she could do was trust Uriya and wait for an opportunity to present itself.

Szayel laughed with bitter disbelief, only now realizing that his opponent had purposely kicked up all that dust and debris during their battle as cover for the girl. He had planned to kill his prey slowly, but now the situation had changed. He began applying pressure to Uriya's throat, enough to close his wind pipe, seeking to finish this now.

In his already weakened state, it didn't take much for the raven-haired youth to begin seeing stars. Mustering the last of his strength, he used the hilt of the Seele Schneider he was still holding in his left hand to jab against Szayel's ribs. As soon as the arrancar loosened his grip, Uriya braced for the pain and pulled himself out of Szayel's zanpakutou, stumbling a few steps away before dropping to one knee, coughing and gasping for air as he fought back the darkness that threatened to overtake him.

Muttering darkly with one hand on his aching side, Szayel moved in to cut the Quincy down…only to have his attack blocked by a triangular glowing shield. He looked up to find Himeko standing not too far behind Uriya, a determined glare in her eyes. Irritated, he turned to the boy with a sneer. "Relying on a girl to fight your battles, Ulquiorra? I never pegged you as this type of weakling."

By now, Uriya was back on his feet, a small bow…his secondary weapon channeled through the pentacle on the underside of his ring…already materialized in his left hand. "Just remember that you are about to lose this battle because _you_ failed to see that very same girl as a threat." Holding the bow in horizontal position, he fired a small arrow, one-handed, to shatter the shield. Then turning the bow vertically, the weapon grew until it practically matched him in height.

Himeko nearly dropped her jaws as what appeared to be strings of reishi came down and attached themselves to Uriya's right arm. Then suddenly, the disabled limb began to move. _That's…Ransoutengai…_

The arrow hit its target, pushing Szayel back until he smashed against the wall, knocking the wind out of him. As soon as he was able to shake off the effects of the impact, he raised his blade. "Sip!" However, before he could swallow his zanpakutou, Uriya moved in with a high kick, pinning the arrancar's wrist to the wall with the heel of his foot. And in place of Fornicaras, the boy had shoved the hilt of Seele Schneider into his mouth with his left hand.

Szayel could feel his body go numb with fear. It was one thing to put his _own_ zanpakutou down his throat, but if the Quincy were to activate that arrow inside his mouth…he was definitely going to die and it would _not_ be pretty.

Uriya drove his heel harder against Szayel's wrist, silently commanding him to drop the blade…which he did. "Now," he began with his usual impassive tone, "I will remove my weapon, and you will tell me everything I want to know."

With cold sweat running down the sides of his face, the pink-haired arrancar could only nod.

"Where is Nnoitora? What have you done to Neliel?" Uriya inquired as he relocated Seele Schneider to Szayel's throat, the glowing arrow coming to life in the process. By now, Ayame and Shunou were already hovering over his right shoulder, busying themselves with the task of rejecting his injury.

Szayel closed his eyes and took a calming deep breath. When he opened his eyes, he felt more like himself again. "Fine, fine," he said with a sigh in an almost breezy tone as he held up his hands in surrender, a faint smirk finding its way back to his lips. "I know when I'm beat." He stood up straighter, brushing dirt off his torn up clothes as he launched into his story. "I'm sure you must know by now that Nnoitora was the one responsible for Neliel's disappearance from Las Noches… Cracked her head open and tossed her out."

Uriya remained unreadable while Himeko gasped.

"That fool…he had always thought that Neliel would return once she's healed to settle the score," Szayel continued. "And during her absence, he would surpass her in strength so that when she _did_ return…he could finally have his moment of glory…"

* * *

Nnoitora glared down at the woman trapped under him whose green locks his hand was currently fisted in. "…so, you can imagine how severely _pissed_ I was when I found you in the desert…_decades_ later…and not only were you still a snot-nosed brat, ya didn't even remember a god damn thing!"

Nel tried not to wince as he jerked her by her hair. Throwing a handful of sand to his eye as a distraction, she stretched her arm towards her zanpakutou that had been dropped not too far from her reach.

Her efforts were futile. He caught her with ease, locking both of her wrists above her head against the sand. "Are you in that much of a hurry to die?" he asked with an amused grin as he fought against her continuing struggles. "But story time ain't over, yet. You wanted to know, didn't you?"

* * *

"The three of you have been making too much noise in the living world," Szayel explained, seeming almost bored. "A mask-wearing shinigami who's the spitting image of the former sexta Espada, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques… A girl who wields a god-like power… And a Quincy who, on more than one occasion, has been said to resemble the once most loyal and dedicated Espada of all, Ulquiorra Schiffer…"

He casually adjusted the frames resting on the bridge of his nose. "Like I said, rumors have been flying, and it didn't take long for Nnoitora to catch wind of it. He even sent hordes of hollows to the living world just to verify that the rumors were true."

Uriya and Himeko shared a glance, finally understanding what the recent surge of hollow attacks were all about. They had been under surveillance and didn't even know it.

* * *

"Of course, I could care less what became of that stick in the mud Ulquiorra and that worthless bastard Grimmjow," Nnoitora continued with nonchalance, although it did strike him as odd that they seemed to have retained memories of their former selves. Then he grinned. "The lovely Pet-sama on the other hand…"

* * *

Szayel turned his eyes to Himeko. "Nnoitora remembered what you were capable of and wanted to use you to return Neliel to her original form." He gave a light shrug. "That was when he came to me. I put a temporary block on her memories…one that was set to deactivate once her body reached maturity again. And by taking Pesche and Dondochakka away from her, we have ensured that she will come back to seek Nnoitora out…provided everything goes according to plan. Once her memories were safely locked away, we left her in the living world for you to find and…well, you know the rest."

Uriya narrowed his eyes slightly. "What else have you done to Neliel? Why does her reiatsu depletes so rapidly?" He wouldn't put it past Szayel and Nnoitora to purposely put a handicap on her to make sure that she'd lose the fight to Nnoitora.

Szayel studied Uriya for a moment before speaking. "I don't know anything about that. It has nothing to do with me."

The young Quincy was about to argue when Himeko spoke up, sounding perplexed and contemplative. "But…if you just wanted me to heal Nel-chan…what was the point of suppressing her memory?"

The arrancar couldn't help but snicker at her intellectual inferiority. "Had she remembered, then she simply would have told you what happened to her and who did it. Most likely, that would have spurred you nosy self-proclaimed hero types into a rescue mission or an attempt to find the culprit. Not only would that accomplish nothing, it would only serve to take your focus off of Neliel."

"Is that the reason you sent hollows to attack her?" Uriya inquired in monotone. "To keep us interested?" Though he phrased it as a question, it was really more of a statement.

Szayel smirked. "That…and to create more opportunities for her to require healing. Though…I suspected that you would recognize her sooner or later, even if Grimmjow did not."

* * *

"…and that's the story," Nnoitora said. "It would have been a great one, too…if it didn't have to have such a crappy ending." He picked up Nel's dropped zanpakutou from the sand, his eye traveling from its hilt to the tip of the blade before frowning down at her. "Thanks for being such a waste of my time, Neliel." He stabbed her just under her left ribs, not an immediately fatal wound.

She bit her lower lip till it bled to refrain from giving him the pleasure of hearing her scream. Finding her wrists no longer restrained, her hands instinctively moved to grasp the blade that was still inside her. However, when he pulled Gamuza back out, none too gently, she was unable to hold back her cry of pain.

The blade descended upon her once more, this time with the intention to kill, but just as its tip was about to pierce her throat, Nnoitora paused.

He frowned while she widened her eyes, both sensing an approaching reiatsu. Though it was still some distance away, it was definitely recognizable to both.

Nel whispered with disbelief. "Grimmjow…"

* * *

A/N: Boy, did I get stuck on the UriHime vs. Szayel sequence. I don't like _any_ of Szayel's techniques. They're hard to work with, and once he's in his release form, he just kinda stands there. So, I threw all that out the window. Heh. Let me know what you think of the end product, because I think I killed some brain cells while trying to come up with it. Haha! Personally, I rather like the part where Uriya shoves Seele Schneider into Szayel's mouth. The inspiration came to me while I was sitting in the dentist's chair. XD

I was so excited when I saw the Love and Rose vs. Starrk match up!! Think they'll end up being friends and making manga together? LMAO! XD

Thanks for reading! Reviews much appreciated!


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo.

* * *

**Chapter Twelve:**

Nel panicked. Just _how_ in the world did Ginjo manage to get to Hueco Mundo?! And so quickly?!!

By now, Nnoitora had gotten over his shock and began to laugh. "Don't tell me that bastard actually came after you!" he exclaimed between fits of laughter. "And all by himself, too. What a moron!"

She glared in response. "Only those who truly are fools will be so quick to underestimate others."

He raised a brow in amusement. "Hmm? Defending him, are you?" Then he paused for a contemplative moment. "All right. I'll wait and see what he's got. Either way, he should be more entertaining than you at the very least."

He got up off of her and tossed her zanpakutou aside. "I won't kill you just yet, Neliel. You can die after you watch me finish him off." With that said, he stepped away from her and settled in to wait for his next kill to arrive.

Nel sat up with a hand pressed gingerly against the fresh wound under her ribs. She was frustrated that Ginjo had followed her here. At the same time, she couldn't help but wonder if she'd even last long enough to see him come…

* * *

Szayel looked at Uriya and Himeko in turn. "I've told you everything I know. Now, if you'll excuse me…as you can plainly see, I have some house cleaning to do," he said as he scanned his battle-scarred lab. He calmly moved away from Seele Schneider as though he had forgotten that he was at the Quincy's mercy.

"If you still want to catch the show," the arrancar continued casually as he began picking up and examining various things from the floor, "then I suggest you start heading for El Bosque Blanco before it's too late."

Uriya watched Szayel's back as he considered whether or not he should just kill him here and now. After a brief internal debate, he decided against it.

As the two teens turned to leave, Szayel called out after them. "Wait."

The pair halted, and Szayel looked over his shoulder at them. "When you healed Neliel…you didn't reject the crack in her mask, did you?" he asked with a knowing tone.

Himeko raised her brows as she realized he was addressing her. "Eh?" She looked to Uriya with a nervous glance. "Uh…well, no. I mean…all arrancars have broken masks, so…I never even considered it."

He never thought much of it before but, now that the subject came up, Uriya remembered that Nel's mask didn't used to be cracked.

"This is just a theory, but…if you fix her mask, it may solve the reiatsu depletion problem you spoke of earlier," Szayel said. "Her spirit body shrank when Nnoitora put that crack in her mask. Most likely, this is where her reiatsu is escaping from."

Himeko slapped her fist on her palm in enlightenment. "Ah, I see! That makes sense! Thank you, Szayel-san!" she exclaimed cheerily, her good manners getting the better of her.

The pink-haired arrancar turned all the way around to give her his full attention, amused at her response. "Well…if you _really_ want to thank me…" He eyed her from head to toe with a sadistic grin, already looking as though he was trying to decide how to take her apart and study her one-of-a-kind powers.

Unsurprisingly, Seele Schneider found its way back to Szayel's throat once again, reminding the arrancar of his place before his imagination could get too carried away. "There's no need to thank him, Hime," Uriya said as he fixed his eyes on Szayel. "He only intends to use us."

"Eh?" The orange-haired girl was confused.

Uriya studied Szayel who remained silent. "It must be frustrating, if not altogether demeaning, to have to go out of your way to do whatever that fool asks of you simply because he is more powerful than you are. Isn't that right, Szayel?"

Then Himeko understood. Szayel wanted to get rid of Nnoitora. So, if they were to defeat the lanky arrancar, it would take care of his problem for him…completely risk free. She looked at Szayel as she contemplated just how scary this person really was. He held no loyalty, and it didn't matter who he aided as long as it suited his purposes.

Instead of denying the Quincy's claims, Szayel simply smirked. "You're welcome, Ulquiorra…It's always a pleasure."

* * *

Sensing Ginjo's arrival, Nel tried to hide her wound by shifting her position in the sand. She turned so her side with the gaping hole would be facing away from him, and she placed both arms over her stomach, hugging herself. To complete the illusion, she made every effort to keep the pain from showing on her face.

Nnoitora stood not too far away, a grin of anticipation on his features.

Before long, Ginjo stepped out of the curtain of white trees and joined them in the clearing. He strode past Nnoitora as though the arrancar wasn't even there, his complete focus on Nel.

Nnoitora frowned as his eye trailed after the vizard, but he made no move.

"Oi," Ginjo said in a low and seemingly calm voice as he stood before the green-haired arrancar sitting on the sand.

Nel glanced up and…seeing the I'm-definitely-mad-as-hell scowl on his face…quickly averted her eyes.

"I'll let you speak first, so it better be good," Ginjo continued.

In a quiet voice, she told him what was on her mind. "You weren't supposed to come."

"You…I…WHAT?!!" the boy exclaimed, so full of grace, as he experienced a sudden brain spasm. "I give you the benefit of a doubt, and _that's_ the kind of bullshit you have to say?!"

"I went through the trouble of making sure you wouldn't be able to come with—"

"Ya ditched me!" he corrected, cutting her off. He wasn't going to let her make it sound pretty.

She closed her eyes, trying to block out that outburst, and finished her thought. "…so why can't you just understand that this is how I want it?"

"I don't care what you want!" Ginjo said with no hesitation. He was growing more and more agitated by the second. "We had a deal! And what the hell was that?!...kissing me _after_ you've drugged me? Were you frickin' trying to molest me or something?!"

Nel turned her head away with a pout, somewhat embarrassed. "It was goodbye," she said defensively.

"Who the _hell_ said you could say goodbye?!" he all but hollered.

By now, Nnoitora was getting rather annoyed. Not only did he have to watch what looked suspiciously like a lovers' quarrel unfold before his very eye, his presence had been completely ignored. And _that_ didn't sit well with him at all. "Oi," he said with a deepening frown.

Ginjo whipped around and pointed at the one-eyed arrancar. "Butt out! I'll deal with you in a minute!"

Nnoitora's expression darkened. "What was that?"

That threat, however, was lost on Ginjo. He was so busy getting back to glaring at Nel that he didn't even hear it. "I don't appreciate being used, squirt."

Nel kept her dismal eyes on the sand. Perhaps she did use him in her desperate haste to regain her strength, but to sum it up as such didn't do her feelings justice. There was so much more behind her decisions. However, if she were to say that she wanted to protect him or keep him out of harm's way…Ginjo would undoubtedly blow a fuse, get hysterical, and not listen to anything else she might have to say. Thus, she settled on simply saying, "It's not your fight."

"Like hell it's not," Ginjo retorted, matter of fact. "You relinquished exclusive rights to it when we made the deal."

She gave a slightly indignant gasp. "I did not!"

"Sure ya did. What the heck did you think I meant when I said I wanted in on the action, huh? Stand on the sidelines like a wuss and cheer ya on with pompoms?"

She glared up at his scowl though, at this point, it didn't really matter whose fight it was anymore. The fact that Ginjo was here now meant that he would have to fight for his life whether she liked it or not. Nnoitora wasn't going to just let him walk away. All that arguing was pointless, yet it was strangely comforting somehow. For a brief moment, it felt almost like they were back in Karakura arguing about something inconsequential like who got to eat the last piece of chocolate.

But it would appear that the argument had sapped what was left of her strength, leaving her drained. She closed her eyes with a sigh and placed a hand on her forehead in response to the dizziness that came over her.

Next thing she knew, Ginjo was kneeling in front of her with a firm lock on her wrist, tugging her hand away from her forehead. Surprised and confused by his sudden action, she looked up and saw shock reflected in his eyes.

"What's this?" he demanded.

Nel didn't understand until she looked from his eyes to her hand which he was holding up between them…her blood covered hand. Then she remembered belatedly that that was the hand she had been using to cover her wound and stanch the bleeding. With her mind distracted, she had completely forgotten about hiding her injury. Reluctantly, she removed her other arm from her abdomen to show him, wincing in the process.

Now that he was directly in front of her, Ginjo was able to see the blood that had been running down the side of her body, soaking into the sand. He mentally kicked himself for being so consumed with his anger that he didn't even notice she had been trying to hide something like this the entire time. ''What are you, a moron?!" With her wrist still in hand, he grabbed hold of her other hand and put it back over her wound, applying pressure to stem the blood flow. "If you're bleeding like a faucet, you should say so!"

She hissed at the pain, speaking between clenched teeth. "I didn't want you to panic."

"Why would I panic?! I don't panic! I've never panicked in my life!" Damn it, he was panicking!

He took a calming breath. He needed to get Nel to Himeko fast or she was going to die. Her body was already becoming cold to the touch.

As for Nel, now that the secret was out and she didn't have to keep up her façade anymore, it was like her condition just took over. Her mind was becoming a bit hazy.

"Oi, Nel!" Ginjo cupped her chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him. With his face mere inches away from hers, he searched her eyes to make sure that she was still there. "You awake?"

"…mm." Her response was weak.

He scowled with intensity. "Watch me. I'll show you how it's done, so don't you _dare_ close your eyes, ya hear?"

Nel gave a wry smile as she watched him walk away. In Ginjo Speak, he had basically just told her not to die. It was hard to believe that, even in a situation like this, he still had to make her work to translate his words. Then again, she had to admit, it was one of the quirks she found endearing about him.

Ginjo met Nnoitora's bored look with a death glare. Glancing off to the side, he noted Pesche's fallen body lying in the sand.

"What? Finally done saying your goodbyes?" Nnoitora asked.

Ginjo unsheathed his blade. "Hate to be a spoilsport, but I got things to do. So, what say we skip the warm-ups and get down to it?"

Nnoitora grinned. "Funny, I was just about to say the same thing. After all…it'll be anticlimactic for her to just quietly bleed to death." He looked pointedly at Nel. Then he arched a brow in amusement when Ginjo's reiatsu flared up. "Heh. Is that anger?"

Though still glaring, a dangerous grin spread across Ginjo's lips. "…It's excitement. Been a while since I fought someone I wanna rip to shreds."

The blue-haired youth narrowed his eyes. "Grind…Pantera!" With that command, his zanpakutou split into a pair of white hook swords.

Nnoitora responded with his own resurreccion. "Pray…Santa Teresa!" His limbs multiplied, going from one pair to three, and he now held a scythe in each hand. However, before he had the chance to flex his newly revealed biceps, his limb count had changed once more, going from three pairs down to two.

The arrancar looked over his shoulder at Ginjo who was now standing a few feet behind him. "Heh…you really are in a hurry, aren't you?"

With one of Nnoitora's arms still impaled upon each one of his hooks, Ginjo couldn't quite suppress that bit of sadistic pleasure he got from severing someone _else's_ limbs for once. He shrugged lightly. "Just getting that souvenir I said I'd bring back for Halibel." Then with a casual swing, he flung the appendages off to the side and charged.

Nnoitora regenerated his limbs instantaneously, and a new pair of weapons grew out of his wrists to replace the ones that he had dropped. Renewed, he charged in as well, meeting Ginjo's hooks with his scythes.

With multiple weapons moving at a furious pace, everything just looked like a blur to Nel. In her current condition, it was difficult to determine which fighter was getting the upper hand. It bothered her that she could do nothing but watch anxiously.

As for Tesla who had been quietly observing from the edge of the clearing as things progressed, he was more at ease. If it was Grimmjow his master was up against, then he had nothing to worry about.

Before long, all that lightning fast action came to a complete halt as the two combatants found themselves in a lock. With both arms held up, Ginjo had a pair of scythes caught in his hooks just above his head while his feet had a second pair of scythes pinned to the ground. Not too far away, the third pair of scythes were lying uselessly in the sand…along with yet another pair of dismembered limbs.

At first glance, it may appear as though Ginjo was the one with the upper hand but, in reality, it was the other way around, and they both knew it. All of Ginjo's limbs were occupied whereas Nnoitora could regenerate his severed pair at any moment, weapons and all, and make his kill. Not to mention, Ginjo was now sporting multiple cut wounds while Nnoitora was…not. Then again, the vizard was trying to fight the arrancar boasting to be _the_ strongest in Hueco Mundo with nothing more than a shikai. It was only logical that things would turn out this way.

"What kind of sick joke is this?" Nnoitora asked, not at all pleased. "You're the one who said you wanted to go all out, but all I see is you fighting at some shit level." He didn't believe for a second that this was all Ginjo was capable of. The boy was fast enough to take out his arms twice after all. He was definitely still holding back, and that pissed Nnoitora off.

Even though blood was dripping into his eye from a cut above his brow, Ginjo grinned nonetheless. "There's something Pantera can't do unless he's in his shikai form."

The arrancar narrowed his eyes, but before he had time to speculate, Ginjo demonstrated exactly what he was talking about. Pulling his weapons downward forcefully, the vizard brought the scythes that had been entangled with his hooks to the ground, causing his opponent to lean forward. When that happened, he swung one of his hook swords up towards Nnoitora's face, the hook piercing through his eye patch, the tip of it catching on the wall of the cavity behind it. Then in one swift motion, he turned around and, using his hook sword, he threw the arrancar over his head.

Nnoitora landed on his back. His eye patch fell away, revealing the hollow hole that was hidden behind it. Regardless, he was back on his feet in no time, his missing limbs back in place, firing off a series of Bala blasts in retaliation.

Ginjo evaded and dodged the attacks for the most part. However, a couple of them did get a bit too close for comfort. He loved using his twin hooks, but it was definitely time to trade them in for a power boost. "Bankai!"

When the sand that had been kicked up by the sudden release of his spiritual energy finally settled, Ginjo's new appearance was revealed. The sleeves of his black robes had disappeared as though they had been torn away, leaving behind frayed edges at his shoulders. Familiar blue markings appeared under his eyes as Pantera took its place on his arms in the form of white, segmented, form-fitting guards that wrapped around his forearms like a second layer of protective skin. The guards reached up to his elbows with fin-like blades protruding at the ends, not unlike the ones he used to have when in his released state as an arrancar. From the wrists down, the thin white metal covered the backs of his hands and extended beyond the tips of his fingers like the sharp claws of a predatory feline. "…El Rey Pantera."

While Pantera was often said to resemble Rukia's Sode no Shirayuki in appearance due to its pure white color, in terms of performance and functionality, it actually shared more traits with Ichigo's Zangetsu. When in bankai, Pantera's form was smaller and sleeker, granting its wielder enhanced agility while multiplying his speed many times over.

Of course, Nnoitora wasn't going to simply stand there and admire his opponent's power upgrade. By the time Ginjo was ready to go at it again, the arrancar already had a charged up Cero at the tip of his tongue.

He fired.

Ginjo batted it away with the back of his hand, disregarding the singes it left on his unprotected upper arm. As the Cero exploded, taking out a chunk of the forest, Ginjo propelled himself towards his opponent, his claws leaving a set of deep gashes upon Nnoitora's torso in the blink of an eye. Stepping onto Nnoitora's shoulder, he grabbed onto one of the scythes as he leaped into the air, yanking the weapon out of his opponent's hand.

Nnoitora seethed as he cursed under his breath. He wasn't about to let that bastard make a fool out of him. As he turned and looked up, he saw Ginjo holding onto the tassel at the end of the scythe, spinning the weapon at high speed with a wide and cocky grin on his face. _Shit!_

Just as Nnoitora thought, Ginjo threw the scythe back at him like a projectile. He successfully blocked and tossed the weapon aside, but Ginjo was _right_ behind it with his arms pulled back, claws extended. Crossing all five remaining scythes in front of his body, he managed to block once again in the nick of time, even managing to get Ginjo's fingers tangled between his weapons. He grinned triumphantly at his opponent, only to see the same grin mirrored on the boy's face.

At Ginjo's will, his claws extended, putting multiple puncture wounds through various places on Nnoitora's chest. However, the arrancar wasn't out of tricks just yet. He grew back a replacement for his stolen scythe and, swinging his arm from the side, he dug the tip of the weapon into the vizard's back.

Both having suffered a major hit, they disengaged and leaped back to put some distance between them, bleeding and panting.

Ginjo slumped forward, but his pride prevented his knees from hitting the sand. He might have put more wounds on his opponent, but that hole he just got in his back was no joke. At this point, he would have to grudgingly admit that Nnoitora had the upper hand. And judging by what he was seeing, it would seem that Nnoitora knew that fact as well.

The one-eyed arrancar was holding all six of his scythes forward with the blades forming a circle, charging up a Cero in the airspace between them, aiming to take his opponent out while he was down.

Ginjo was no math genius, but even he could deduce that a Cero charged up via six scythes sizzling with reiatsu would most likely be many times more powerful than a Cero charged up from a tongue. This wasn't something that he could simply bat away.

Nnoitora launched his attack, and the Cero exploded when it reached its mark. When the smoke cleared, Ginjo was gone…not because he had perished, but because he had escaped.

Nnoitora looked up and grinned when he saw Ginjo floating in the air with a mask on his face. "So, ya finally brought it out." It was something he had heard about. Now it was time to test it out.

Ginjo held up both arms, charging up a Cero in each hand. After being at the receiving end of a couple, it was only right that he started giving back a few of his own…

* * *

Himeko wasn't sure how long she could keep going. Though it probably wasn't the case, it felt like they had been running for _hours_! Of course, the never changing scenery of the never ending desert only served to make her question whether she was truly moving forward or merely running in place. And the only thing that broke up the monotony, sad as it was, were the occasional attacking hollows that had been attracted by their reiatsu.

Eventually, she reached her limit and tripped over her feet, but Uriya swept her up into his arms and continued forth without breaking his pace.

"OK, I _swear_ I didn't do it on purpose that time," Himeko explained as she placed her arms around his neck for support.

"I know."

Something was coming into view in the distance, and Himeko squinted at it. "Is that it?"

"Yes," Uriya replied. "El Bosque Blanco…the White Forest."

"It…looks more like a giant white sea urchin or a porcupine than a forest," she said after a moment of pondering.

"It is an unusually dense collection of the leafless branches you see everywhere in Hueco Mundo," he explained. "That is the only reason why it is called a forest. Nothing thrives there."

From the direction of said forest, they could easily sense Ginjo's and Nnoitora's overwhelming reiatsu. However, they had yet to pick up any trace of Nel's reiatsu. Though it was not in Uriya's nature to jump to conclusions, this did make him concerned. Holding Himeko tighter in his arms, he hastened his pace with hirenkyaku.

* * *

Nnoitora breathed heavily as he stood, trying not to appear like he was leaning on his scythes for support as much as he actually was. Keeping his weary eye on his equally weary opponent, he mused that this was probably one of the most ridiculous fights he had ever fought.

There was no doubt that, when it came to brute strength, Nnoitora definitely had more of it. However, Ginjo more than made up for it with his superior speed. Using that damn speed to his advantage, the vizard had been lopping off Nnoitora's arms with a vengeance! While the arrancar had the ability to regenerate his limbs, it was not something that could be done without a cost. And by now, the repeated use of this power had robbed Nnoitora of much of his reiatsu.

Ginjo wasn't much better off. His mask crumbled and fell away. After all, furious Cero volleying and high speed limb dismembering was hard work.

In their current condition, they knew that the next strike would be their last…the one to decide the match. It was impossible to say who would come out the victor, and _that_ was the thrilling part. With feral grins on their faces, they rushed towards each other with the last of their strength.

Then something dropped in from above and struck the sand between them with an explosion.

…a bright white arrow.

* * *

A/N: This chapter actually turned out longer than I thought it would. The action sequences are really not that long, but boy they sure take a ton of words to describe! Bleh.

Ginjo was definitely having a field day with the arm lopping thing. Heh. It's like somewhere deep down, he kinda feels as though cutting off someone else's arm somehow begins to make up for all those times he had to cut off his own. The fact that Nnoitora's arms would keep growing back only made him happier, because it was like being at an all-you-can-eat buffet…except it's all-you-can-chop. Haha. He probably severed enough limbs to make a morbid arm bouquet for Halibel… ( -__-;)

'El Rey Pantera' means 'panther king' in Spanish…I hope. LOL! 'Pantera' means panther in Spanish, but it's written out in Japanese as 'panther king'. So, I figured it made sense for his bankai to be called that.

Tesla…it's so hard to remember he's actually still there because he's not doing anything. Haha!

OK! More brain cells to kill for the next chapter! LOL!

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo. Hmm…I guess I can at least lay claim to Asano Hiroyuki. XD

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen:**

Ginjo closed his eyes, part of him trying to get a handle on his overflowing agitation while the other part was busy stringing together all kinds of colorful vocabulary in his mind. _Damn it! And just when it was getting good!_

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop cutting in, you bastard?! This is _my_ fight!" The Kurosaki boy then turned to the direction where the arrow came from and glared heatedly at the Quincy who was standing up in the white branches at the edge of the clearing, impassive and unapologetic about what he had just done, which only served to irk Ginjo all the more.

Satisfied that he had gotten both fighters' attention, Uriya jumped off his perch and made his way over, hands in his pockets.

Nnoitora grinned at the sight of the former cuarta Espada. "Well, I don't mind." Defeating Ulquiorra would be more of an accomplishment than defeating Grimmjow anyway. He'd admit that Grimmjow was definitely much stronger than he remembered, but Ulquiorra was the one who used to rank higher than himself after all. He turned toward the approaching Quincy, getting down into ready stance. "If you're game, then I—"

"I refuse," Uriya said flatly before Nnoitora could even finish.

Nnoitora frowned, both in displeasure as well as confusion. If he didn't want to fight, then what the hell was he doing here?

"I believe your fight…is with her," Uriya stated as he turned his eyes to Nel.

Both Ginjo and Nnoitora followed his line of sight to the green-haired arrancar sitting on the sand. Seeing that she was already in Himeko's care and on her way to recovery under that glowing shield, Ginjo relaxed slightly.

Nnoitora sneered. "Who? Neliel?" He couldn't help but ridicule. "Who do you think put her in that sorry state to begin with, eh?"

"Then you should have nothing to be afraid of," Uriya retorted, matter of fact. "If you can defeat her a second time…I will still be here."

Nnoitora narrowed his eye, not sure what the Quincy was trying to pull.

It wasn't long before Himeko finished rejecting Nel's injuries and got back up on her feet. Taking note of this, Uriya called out to her. "Hime. If you wouldn't mind, heal Nnoitora as well."

Himeko turned to him, eyes widened momentarily in surprise. However, her hesitation lasted only for a second, knowing that she could trust his judgment. "Right."

As the orange-haired girl headed over to their enemy's side, Ginjo stared at Uriya with open-mouthed bafflement. It wasn't that he didn't _get_ what Uriya was trying to do, but… "What about me?!" Shouldn't there be some kind of natural order to this sort of thing?! Shouldn't he get first dibs here?! Shouldn't _he_ be more important than that bastard of a bastard Nnoitora?!

The raven-haired boy eyed him apathetically from head to toe, assessing his condition with a once over. "You can wait."

Ginjo found himself stumped speechless as he made a mental note to remember this the next time he and Uriya have a sparring match.

Nnoitora took a step back as Himeko approached, sending her a warning glare. "I don't need a fix up to finish her off."

"Nnoitora," Uriya began. "You should know Neliel well. In your current condition, do you think she will fight you in earnest?"

The arrancar considered. Then when Himeko put her shield over him, even though he didn't look happy, he did not resist.

In the mean time, Uriya made his way over to speak with Nel who was now getting to her feet as well. "Did Hime inform you about the mask?"

Her hand instinctively reached up to touch where the crack in her mask used to be. "Yes."

"Without that handicap, you should have a fair chance of winning," he explained.

"…"

The young Quincy heaved an internal sigh as he saw the indecisiveness flicker through her eyes. "Neliel. Hasn't this gone on long enough?"

Nel looked at him. In other words, he was telling her it was time to put an end to it, and she should be the one to do it. That was true enough. What was only supposed to be between Nnoitora and herself had ended up involving and hurting more and more people. It was senseless and preventable, and she was half to blame. Therefore, she will take the responsibility…and she will bear the burden.

With more determination now, she picked up her zanpakutou and strode past Uriya without another word. At the same time, the Kurosaki siblings were heading her way, Himeko briefing Ginjo on the situation as they walked. When they met half way, the orange-haired girl wished Nel a quick good luck and dashed off, allowing her brother a moment to speak with the arrancar girl alone.

Ginjo looked upon Nel with an unreadable expression. "If you win, you're gonna have to make it up to me for stealing my half of the battle."

She remained silent.

"But if you lose," he continued, "I'm gonna be severely pissed, cuz then it would mean that all I did was waste my time with your training."

She unsheathed her blade as she looked up at him with unwavering eyes. "Then you better start thinking of a way for me to make it up to you." Because he wasn't going to get another crack at it.

Seeing the resolve in her eyes, Ginjo couldn't help but grin. "I like that answer." He sauntered past her, speaking as he went. "Kick his ass, squirt. I'll be watching."

When she reached Nnoitora, she took a deep breath to clear her mind. Then she looked directly into his eye. "I will give you what you want." Her voice was tense but, at the same time, sincere.

Nnoitora snorted as he finished retying the eye patch to his head, once again covering up the hollow hole on his face. "So, you're gonna die for me?"

"No." She held up her blade, undeterred by his offhanded comment. "What you really want."

He faltered briefly at her declaration. Then he grinned. Eventually, he began to laugh. "It's a bit late, don't you think? You can't even leave a scratch on me anymore. So, why don't you just die for me!!"

He vanished and reappeared in front of her with his crescent shaped blade swinging. To his surprise, she blocked. Pulling back, he attacked a second time, and then a third. Just as she did the first time, Nel blocked them all with relative ease.

Nnoitora grinned as he pushed his blade against hers. There was definitely a marked difference in her performance. "Heh. Looks like Pet-sama finally worked her magic. But that doesn't mean you'll defeat me, Neliel!"

She gave no reply. All he got from her was that solemn look in her eyes, and it made him falter once again. Even though he recovered quickly, it didn't stop the few words she did say from ringing through his head as he redoubled his efforts to break through her defenses. Striking and parrying, the two fought for dominance as buried memories began breaking free from the abyss of their minds, floating to the surface…memories of what had transpired between them at the end of their last battle…

* * *

_"Why me, Nnoitora? We've been through this so many times already. There are others who I'm sure would be happy to take you up on this. I, however, have no interest in a senseless death match with you."_

_He grinned humorlessly as he peeled himself off the dirt. "You don't get it, do you, Neliel? That is precisely the reason why."_

_She pinched the bridge of her nose, too tired to try to figure him out. "I do not understand." He had told her once before. He fought because he wanted to die…die in the heat of battle. But that didn't really concern her, and she wanted no part in it._

_"It's meaningless to have a death match with bastards who live to kill, cuz in the end, nobody's gonna remember it," Nnoitora explained. "I should know, since I'm one of 'em. After a while, you start to lose count of how many you've butchered. I can hardly remember faces, and I sure as hell don't remember any names. Don't get me wrong. Blood thirsty low lives are a hell of a lot o' fun to fight. It's just that those kinds of battles…I fight to win, cuz I'm not gonna die a dog's death."_

_He paused, taking a moment to study her. "But you're different, Neliel. You got all that power, but you don't wanna use it. You never swing that blade unless there's some __**higher**__ purpose," he said mockingly. "Heh… You and your shitty high morals…it pisses me off every time I think about it. But the more resistant you are, the more I wanna make you do it. Cuz if I can force your hand against your will…I'd say you'd probably remember it pretty well. Wouldn't you?"_

_Nel's eyes widened, a chill running up her spine at the serious look in Nnoitora's expression. He wasn't kidding._

_So, all those things he'd always say about hating her, about not being able to stand the fact of her being stronger…those were not the real reasons why he persisted in challenging her. He wasn't fighting to win. Yet, he didn't want to simply die either. What he sought was a twisted sense of immortality within her mind._

_When Nel finally understood, she shook with a mixture of fear and rage. Unable to look at him any longer, she turned her back as she closed her eyes, trying to compose herself. "This is our last duel," she managed to say. "There won't be another." She began to walk away._

_Nnoitora glowered as he raised his voice. "Walk now and I'll make sure you regret it, Neliel!"_

_She didn't look back._

_"Neliel!!"_

_She kept going._

* * *

The two arrancars continued their destructive dance, the whirlwind upon the sand an outward manifestation of the unspoken emotions swirling just beneath the surface.

Nel made a horizontal sweep with her blade, and Nnoitora escaped upward into the air. Spinning his zanpakutou by the chain, he used Santa Teresa like a ranged projectile and threw it down towards his opponent. Nel dodged and the crescent blade implanted itself into the sand. Using said blade as a stepping stone, her hierro preventing the weapon from cutting into her bare foot, she grabbed onto the chain and swung her body up, driving the heel of her foot into the underside of Nnoitora's chin.

The force of the impact sent the one-eyed arrancar sailing until he eventually landed with his back in the sand. Shaking off the shock from the landing, he scrambled back to his feet. By then, however, Nel was already standing before him with her zanpakutou resting against the side of his neck, her expression controlled.

Everything fell silent. Seconds ticked by as the two combatants held each other's eyes, neither making a move.

Nnoitora smirked. "Why do you hesitate?"

"…"

"Heh. So, what you said before…you were just bluffing?"

Her brows furrowed at his provocation. She retracted her blade, causing him to grimace as she left a shallow cut along his neck. Then crouching low, she jabbed her elbow into his abdomen, and their battle resumed.

Off to the side, Himeko was biting the inside of her lip, torn between worrying over Nel and fretting over her reckless brother. Despite his vital liquids practically pouring out of the hole in his back among other places, he had been almost vehemently refusing her treatment, brushing her aside so he could devote his full attention to the match. Unable to understand the logic behind his behavior, she kept trying, only to get the same response from him every time.

Standing beside them, Uriya watched the siblings from the corner of his eyes. Most likely, Ginjo just wanted to be ready in case he needed to jump in at a moment's notice. He thought it rather foolish but, since Ginjo was exhibiting so much vitality, he probably wasn't going to die any time soon. So, Uriya decided it would be fine to just let him be for now.

Back on the field, a voice made sure that everyone present focused their attention on the fight once more. "Pray…Santa Teresa!"

Nel leaped back to avoid getting caught up in the torrent of her opponent's reiatsu.

"Let's stop screwing around, Neliel. Release!" Nnoitora demanded as he brandished all six of his scythes, his eye narrowing to a slit. "We finish this now."

The green-haired arrancar kept her eyes on him as she considered her options. She really didn't want to resort to her resurreccion due to the consequences she knew she would have to face if she did. However, as things stood now, she would definitely lose if she didn't, and losing would result in consequences far worse. With her mind made up, Nel held her zanpakutou out in front of her. "Declare…"

Her blade began to glow as her reiatsu steadily increased. And just as she had suspected, the immense power flux shattered the shield that Urahara had given her before it even had the chance to overheat. Without the shield to filter out Nel's ever rising reiatsu, the crystal that was Soul Society's reiatsu monitor shattered immediately following. When that happened, the strap she wore around her neck fused itself into her skin like a red tattoo that would remain there for the rest of her life.

Soul Society's tracking device had been activated. She had just given up on her privilege to remain in the living world.

Forcing back the regret in her heart, she called out the name of her zanpakutou. "Gamuza!"

Seeing her centaur-like appearance, a grin spread across Nnoitora's features. In the past, she would always hold back on him, but this time, he would make sure that that would not happen again. Holding his scythes forward, forming a circle with the blades, he began charging up a Cero in the airspace between them. However, instead of being a glowing sphere of spiritual energy, this Cero was an orb of pure darkness.

Uriya's eyes widened slightly with recognition. _Cero Oscuras…_

Beside him, a barely audible mumble could be heard from Ginjo's lips. "…she's not moving…"

Uriya looked and, sure enough, Nel was just standing there, seeming almost too relaxed.

"Don't tell me she's thinking about eating that thing?!" Ginjo said, his voice strained as he began to get more and more high strung.

"That would appear to be the case," Uriya replied flatly, giving it to him straight. Though he sounded calm, he, too, did not think it was a wise decision on Nel's part. After all, the black Cero was many times more powerful than the standard ones.

Nnoitora launched his attack and the Cero Oscuras sped forth, leaving a trail of black light in its wake.

With her lance in her left hand, Nel held out her right hand to stop the blast, skidding back upon impact. Pushing her hooves against the sand, she struggled against the force of the Cero until she finally found her footing. Then with closed eyes and an almost serene look on her features, she simply inhaled. Before long, the massive darkness disappeared into the cavity of her mouth, only to remain within her body briefly before rebounding at twice the speed and two times the power.

Nnoitora widened his eye as his form was swallowed up by the darkness.

All bystanders were left speechless. Ginjo, especially, was petrified with shock of a completely different kind from just moments ago. _Where the __**hell**__ had she been hiding all that power this whole time?!!_

When the smoke finally cleared, Nnoitora was still standing, though he was a sad sight to behold. With both of his horns broken and most of his clothing disintegrated, the arrancar was practically bathing in his own blood. Only two of his six scythes were still in his hands but, with the blades cracked, they were practically useless, and he had not the strength to regenerate a new set of weapons. _Damn it…_

Struggling to control his ragged breathing and the shaking in his legs, Nnoitora looked up with his unfocused eye, seeking Nel's solemn ones. What would she do this time? Would she sheathe her blade like she did all those other times in the past? Would she once again deny him as a warrior…deny him as an equal? Would she walk away?

The lanky arrancar gave a self-ridiculing chuckle. That attack must have gone straight to his head. He was thinking about this all wrong. It didn't matter what she intended to do or not do. This time, for sure, he would force her hand. Exerting mind over matter with his remaining scythes grasped tightly, he willed his body to spring forward, charging at his opponent as he hollered her name. "Neliel!!"

The green-haired arrancar pulled her arm back as she called out her attack. "Lanzador Verde." She threw the lance, the weapon picking up incredible speed and rotation as it soared through the air. It hit Nnoitora and drilled clean through his torso in an instant, leaving behind a gaping hollow in the arrancar's chest.

As his broken body sailed back, Nnoitora knew he had finally met his end. Nevertheless, despite having just lost the battle, he came out the victor. One look at the distress in Nel's eyes was enough to let him know that this moment was being burned into her memory, and he won't be forgotten anytime soon.

He smirked weakly at that thought. He would never understand why the hell she had to make him wait so damn long, but…he was content with what he got. With that thought in mind, Nnoitora closed his eye…his world fading to black before his body hit the sand.

From where he had been standing, silently watching the entire time, Tesla dropped to his knees, a look of devastation marring his features as his body stubbornly refused to turn away from the still form of his master. What he had feared most had come to pass.

In his heart, Tesla had known. He had served Nnoitora long enough to know that, no matter what Nnoitora said, this was the outcome he had hoped for. That was why Tesla had helped Halibel, hoping that she'd be able to find Nel and take her away before she could regain her true form. It was why, when that failed, he had even attempted to kill Nel himself. But he had been powerless to prevent anything. In the end, Nnoitora got what he wanted, leaving him without a purpose.

Sealing her powers back into her zanpakutou, Nel returned to her usual form. Crumbling to her knees, she sat in the sand with a pained expression as her eyes found their way to the one whose life she had just taken. "Nnoitora…you're a fool."

With her head bowed, she tried to wrestle with her emotions until she saw a hand held out in front of her. Looking up, she found Uriya standing before her, staring back at her with a blank expression. She placed her hand in his proffered one but couldn't muster enough will to stand. "Ulquiorra…maybe you're right," she said, her voice lifeless and desolate.

Seeing her eyes trail back to Nnoitora's body, he immediately understood what she was referring to. "Neliel. Your naïveté never ceases to amaze me." When she looked up at him questioningly, he heaved an inward sigh. "Nnoitora is far from being the representative of _all_ souls," he explained. "Perhaps this particular fool refused to change, but…" He looked over to Ginjo who was currently being healed by Himeko. "…that one certainly has evolved."

As she followed his line of sight to the blue-haired youth, Uriya reflected on that thought and smirked slightly to himself. "I've come to prefer your theory anyhow."

Nel managed a small but complicated smile up at the Quincy. It was a smile full of sadness, entwined with gratefulness, and tinged with just a bit of hope. Tightening her grip on his hand, she allowed him to help her back up to her feet.

* * *

Ginjo was still sitting within Himeko's shield when he noticed a blur of green suddenly came charging towards him, yelling his name.

"Griiiiiiiiiimm!!!!"

Himeko, having learned a thing or two about Nel's personality by now, decided to forgo the "eh?" she might have otherwise uttered in this sort of situation and cleared out of the arrancar's way without question.

Ginjo widened his eyes, cursing under his breath as he mentally braced himself.

Nel made a leap with outstretched arms. Crashing through the rejection shield, she rammed into the injured vizard head first and locked her arms around his waist as she buried her face in his chest, bursting into tears. "Grimm!! I was so worried!! Thank goodness you're all right!!"

Ginjo winced as he inhaled sharply between clenched teeth. "I won't be if ya keep squeezing the life outta me!!" She had him in an iron grip, and Himkeo had only _just_ begun the healing process. Any tighter and his wounds would surely burst open again. "I mean it, squirt, let go!"

Nel, however, did not comply. Nor did she reply as her initial and almost childlike cries gave way to a heart wrenching quiet sob, her body trembling with grief as she hung onto him like a lifeline. At this point, it was obvious that she was crying for so much more. For all that she had lost, all that she had been unable to protect, and…Ginjo was certain…even for Nnoitora.

In a situation like this, even _he_ knew it would be in poor taste to try to comfort her with just a piece of chocolate in her mouth. Heaving a heavy sigh of resignation, he gathered her into his arms without another word. Holding her, he let her cry until she couldn't cry anymore.

* * *

Himeko climbed up one of the white leafless trees. She and Uriya had wandered off in order to give the other two some space.

Standing on a branch, she peered out into the distance. There was nothing but sand dunes as far as the eye could see. "The view's not much different from the one at Las Noches," she observed out loud.

Uriya watched her from below. Then without warning, he pulled out Seele Schneider, the blade-like arrow coming to life immediately in his hand. In one smooth motion, he cut the branch on which she stood and slipped the weapon back in its place.

Caught off guard by the sudden loss of her footing, Himeko fell with a yelp before finding herself safely secured in Uriya's arms. With her arms around his neck for support, she looked at him with surprise, her wide eyes inquiring.

"Preemptive strike," he explained impassively. "Since I know you are going to fall anyway, I've decided it's best I take control of the situation before that happens."

The orange-haired girl blinked. Then she broke into a smile. "I've been wondering when you were going to give me a response." He always treated her so well, did everything she wanted, accepted all the weird quirks she knew she had, but he would never get upset with her or complain about anything. On some level, she began to worry…worry that he might be placing her on a pedestal because of who she used to be in a previous life. She didn't want that. She wanted to make sure that he would let her know if he was ever angry. She needed to know that he wouldn't hide it if he was annoyed. Though it had taken her a while to coax it out of him, he had finally responded to her little "test" with retaliation. It wasn't quite what she had expected. In fact, it was better.

"Incidentally," he began as he placed her back on the ground, "the answer is yes."

She raised a brow in query.

"You had asked if I still think of you as a princess," he elaborated. "The answer is yes."

Her face fell somewhat as he continued.

"There are a number of things that may change over time. That, however…I believe will not."

"But—"

"Is that so bad?" he inquired before she could retort. "That I think highly of you?"

Himeko blushed, feeling somewhat flustered by the way he was looking at her with eyes that spoke of nothing but sincerity. She fidgeted. "Well…no… It's just…"

"As long as I will cut the branch you stand on whenever I deem it necessary, you should have no complaints, correct?"

She twisted her lips, her eyes wandering as she pondered his words. She supposed she could agree to that. "I can't believe you'd deliberately make a princess fall from a tree," she stated as she chuckled teasingly. "Are you _sure_ that's what you think of me?"

"Normally, one would never treat a princess in such a manner," he agreed before giving a small smirk. "That is because other princesses do not climb trees the way you do. You are one of a kind. Therefore, I must deal with you accordingly."

She tilted her head to the side, barely containing her elation. "Hmm? Seems like Uriya is becoming much bolder than Ulquiorra and Ukita ever were."

"People change," he replied, matter of fact. "That is what you said, is it not?"

She chuckled. "Yes. But not by much, I hope," she said as she closed the gap between them and kissed his lips softly. "You know…it's actually _really_ hard to make you upset!" She almost thought it was never going to work.

He gave a small smile, his arms resting naturally around her waist. "I'm a patient man."

She put on a thoughtful frown, suddenly thinking of this as some kind of new challenge. "Maybe I need to try harder next time."

"Please don't," he replied before she even finished her sentence, and she began to laugh, her cheerful melody ringing through the trees of El Bosque Blanco.

* * *

A/N: Yay! The fighting's over! (throws confetti on myself)

I never liked Nnoitora much in cannon (although I did find his end moving), but I ended up romanticizing his character a bit for the purpose of this story…even though it _is_ kind of twisted. Haha. His feelings towards Nel are like a really messed up form of love (as only capable by Nnoitora). After he told her the real reason he fought her and she refused, he reacted all…unrequited love style. ( -_-;)

After working with him for a while, I sort of developed a bit of a soft spot for him. I guess that happens to me a lot. When trying to write about characters, you think about what they do, what they think, why they do what they do. In a way, it's like you're nurturing them in your mind and they become like your children. So, I guess Nnoitora's sort of like my messed up kid. Haha!

And poor Tesla, he's a good boy. (pats him on the head) Very devoted. I'm sorry I killed off your master and left you all alone! DX

The conversation between Uriya and Himeko in the last scene ties in with conversations they've had in Chapters 1 and 8. And the conversation between Uriya and Nel ties in with their flashback scene in Chapter 7. I realize that was a while ago, and unless you just started reading this story in the past couple of days, you've probably already forgotten about what happened all those chapters ago. LOL!

The Cero Oscuras…there's speculation on whether or not it's an attack exclusive to Ulquiorra, because he refers to it as "my Cero" when talking to Ichigo. But then shortly after, he also says it's "an _Espada's_ fully powered Cero." Obviously, I went with the 'it's not exclusive' theory here. Not exclusive to Ulquiorra, but you still have to attain a certain level of badass in order to pull it off. XD

Next chapter's the last, but I'm about to get really busy, so it'll probably be a month or so before I can get around to writing it. DX

Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo. I recently acquired a mini version of Ulquiorra's zanpakutou! And by mini, I mean like…two toothpicks long. XD

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen:**

Nel tapped the airspace lightly with her fingers, and Garganta opened up. "This should lead you straight back to Karakura," she said, her expression solemn.

Himeko and Uriya shared a glance. The orange-haired girl frowned and was about to speak when Uriya grasped her hand, stopping her. He looked over to Ginjo who was silently staring at Nel with an unreadable expression. Then tugging on Himeko's hand, the Quincy said, "Let's go, Hime."

Throwing one last reluctant glance at the arrancar girl, Himeko followed Uriya into the portal.

Once they disappeared, Ginjo spoke. "You're not coming."

Nel's hand reached up to touch the red band that had been permanently etched into her skin, her eyes downcast. "I can't." Now that the reiatsu monitor had shattered, Soul Society would no longer allow her to remain in the living world. "I'm a hollow. I don't belong in the living world. This is my home."

Even though she said as much, Nel wasn't sure if those words really rang true to her. She looked up at her bleak surroundings. It had been Pesche and Dondochakka who had made it possible for this place to feel like home. Now that they were gone…was she prepared to spend the rest of her life wandering this wasteland alone?

Watching her ever darkening mood, Ginjo couldn't help but get annoyed. He had never been any good at stomaching this sort of drama. Without warning, he walked up to her and simply hoisted her up over one shoulder. "Just come already, damn it."

"Grimm!!" she exclaimed, surprised and somewhat panicked. "Put me down! I'm not coming!"

"Why?" he asked, his tone calm in comparison to hers. "You obviously wanna come."

She struggled to get loose with no success. "That's not the point! Soul Society will—"

"Screw Soul Society," he retorted offhandedly.

Nel was nothing short of baffled by how lightly he seemed to be taking this. "Grimm, be realistic! They won't just let me—"

"Nel."

She stopped struggling and gave pause at the unexpected seriousness in his voice.

"Can you honestly tell me that you want to stay here?"

"…"

"When I was here, I hated this place," Ginjo continued as he looked out to the endless desert. "It drove me insane. Is this shithole where you really wanna be? You say yes, and I'll put you down."

Nel clenched her fists, her hands taking hold of the fabric on his back as she tried to hold back her tears. The truth was, she wanted more than anything to be able to remain close to him. It was a bit absurd if she thought about it, because their paths had only crossed again just recently. Nonetheless, during that brief span of time, he had become such an integral part of her life that she wasn't sure she could simply go back to living it without him. She just didn't think that staying together would be possible. There were so many risks involved. But if she had to survive here on her own, she would surely break down and fall apart before long.

"Yes or no?" Ginjo prompted, his patience wearing thin. "Which is it?"

She shook her head with a quiet sob as a whispered reply escaped her lips. "…no."

He grinned in triumph. "That's all I need to know." She didn't belong here anyway. Even though she was a hollow, she was a damn misfit in Hueco Mundo. Years ago, Pesche and Dondochakka had taken the opportunity that Nnoitora had unwittingly created to take her away from Las Noches. Now, he would take this opportunity and take her away from this place all together.

The moment he started walking, Nel hollered. "Wait! What about Soul Society?"

"Damn it, quit worryin' about the small stuff!" he said with agitation. "We'll handle it! It's not like you'd be the first non-human to stick around in the living world anyway. We'll get Urahara to hook you up with a gigai."

"I'm…not so sure he'd help this time," she thought out loud. Doing something like that would, without a doubt, land the exiled shinigami in a world of trouble.

Ginjo shrugged. "I don't really see him refusing, but if he does…I've got an ace up my sleeve."

Nel blinked, curious. "What ace?"

The vizard grinned. Every man had a weakness, and Ginjo knew Urahara's. "That man can't say no to my sister."

With that said, Ginjo stepped into Garganta, taking Nel with him.

* * *

Upon arriving in the living world on a deserted neighborhood street in the middle of the night, Ginjo set Nel back on the ground. Standing there dully with her eyes on the pavement, she said nothing and made no move. When the depressing moment dragged on, he grumbled and began knocking on her mask continually and none too softly with his knuckles. "Quit giving me that pathetic look already!"

Nel raised her hands to cover her head protectively. "Ow!" She glared up at him with a childish pout, and he frowned right back at her. Even as she stared into his scowling eyes, she knew that, in his quirky way, he was trying to help her get through this, and that thought eventually persuaded her to smile gently.

Ginjo's frown deepened at her sudden, seemingly odd-timed, change of expression. "What the hell's so funny?"

She didn't reply. Instead, she opened her mouth and pointed inside, demanding sweets.

To his credit, he didn't roll his eyes as he deadpanned, "I don't have any on me."

Nel shrugged lightly, eyes sparkling with mischief. "I'll take a kiss as a substitute."

At this point, Ginjo got even more agitated. He took a step away, his hands itching to pull his hair out. "Will ya quit…!" he began in a strained voice before coming to an abrupt stop as his brain tried to figure out what he wanted to say. "Will ya quit making the first move on me all the time?!"

She tilted her head to the side, definitely amused by that reaction but trying incredibly hard not to show it. "Why?"

"Cuz it makes me look like a damn sissy!" Suddenly reaching out and cupping his hands on either side of her head, he pulled her in, pressing his lips against hers. As one of his hands tangled itself within her hair, the other one traveled down her back, supporting her weight as he pulled her even closer to himself.

Was she surprised? Yes. Did she mind? Not one bit. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she returned his kiss in kind. Even though this was the first time Ginjo had ever initiated a kiss, the kiss he gave Nel was long, deep, and passionate…because Kurosaki Ginjo _never_ did anything halfway.

Standing not too far away, Himeko hid her mirth behind her hands while Uriya simply looked on with his typical look of indifference. The pair had actually been present the entire time and merely forgotten.

"Hime," Uriya finally spoke up. "What is it again that Ginjo always says?"

Himeko folded her arms with a deep scowl, speaking in her best imitation of her brother. "I don't wanna see any of that crap."

Despite how busy he was with the beauty in his arms, Ginjo had the good graces to spare a hand to give his best friend and sister the finger, causing Himeko to chuckle and Uriya to smirk.

Eventually, Ginjo and Nel broke apart, both gasping for air. "First things first…" Ginjo began, speaking between deep breaths. "Tomorrow…you and me…one on one…no hold backs…your release against my bankai."

Observing, Himeko leaned over to Uriya and whispered, "Does he think he's being romantic?"

With her arms still draping round Ginjo's neck, Nel grinned innocently up at him. "Is that a date?"

Turning to Himeko, Uriya made his apathetic reply. "She doesn't seem to mind."

"No," Ginjo replied dryly to Nel's inquiry. "It's called a sparring match. You owe me, remember? For taking my half of the fight."

"He's not very good at this," Himeko whispered to Uriya again.

"Yes," Uriya agreed. "I do pity Neliel."

Ginjo finally snapped as he turned to them and yelled. "Hey, what the _hell's_ with the side commentary?!!!"

Speaking in unison, one with a grin, the other matter-of-fact, Himeko and Uriya replied with one word. "Payback."

Ginjo geared himself up to holler all kinds of obscenities but, in the end, couldn't come up with a good enough comeback to say anything. It was that karma thing again, wasn't it? And this one in particular had been a long time in coming.

Seeing her brother's look of frustration only made Himeko laugh. "So, Nel-chan? Does this mean you'll be staying with us now?!" she asked the green-haired arrancar happily.

Nel smiled with a nod then turned to Ginjo. "So, Grimm? Does this mean I can share your room now?"

"What?! Heck no!" the vizard replied with no hesitation.

"But why?" she asked, disappointed. "I like your bed. It's cozy."

Ginjo grumbled. "How many times do I have ta tell ya?! It's small! You're big! And my old man's gonna murder me in my sleep!!"

"No, he wouldn't," Nel said as though that was the silliest thing for him to say. "Ichigo's a sweetheart!"

"You obviously don't know him the way I do," he deadpanned.

As their argument continued, Uriya heaved a quiet sigh before turning to Himeko. "Goodnight, Hime. We will see you tomorrow."

The orange-haired girl blinked. "Eh? We?"

Cutting his way into the still ongoing argument, the Quincy took hold of Nel's wrist and pulled her away. "Neliel. Come with me."

"Hm? Uh, but…" Nel turned back to look at Ginjo with uncertainty but allowed herself to be led away nonetheless.

With a slump of his shoulders, Ginjo breathed a sigh of relief. Then he placed an arm around Himeko's shoulder and began steering her towards home. "Come on, princess. I'm beat."

She looked up at her brother, a smile on her features. "I'm happy for you, Gin-chan!"

Ginjo glanced at her from the corner of his eyes before looking away, uncomfortable. "Whatever. Let's go."

* * *

"Where are we going, Ulqui?" Nel asked as Uriya led her around another street corner.

He continued to walk, tugging her along. It was obvious she still wanted to go back with Ginjo. "Neliel. Do you like Kurosaki Ichigo?"

She blinked at the question then broke into a bright smile. "Of course!"

"I assure you he will definitely live longer if you do not stay in the Kurosaki household…especially if you intend to remain in the living world on a permanent basis."

She twisted her lips in thought, not sure she understood what he meant by that. "Then…should I go back to Shinji's?"

"Do you like Hirako Shinji?"

"Yes!" she replied with the same enthusiasm. "Shinji's a sweetheart, too!"

One of these days, Uriya was going to have to ask her what her definition of 'sweetheart' was, as it seemed a large number of people fell under that category for her. "Then I would advise against it," he replied straightforwardly. "It may jeopardize _his_ lifespan as well." That man had moronic tendencies that, in Uriya's eyes, couldn't really even qualify as being perverted. On more than one occasion already, he had witnessed Ginjo smashing his foot into Shinji's face for getting too close to Nel. Shinji's health aside, if she stayed with him long term, it would only serve to generate a lot of unnecessary nonsense.

"Mmm…are you saying I should go to Urahara-san?" she asked, a bit unsure. She didn't really know him all that well.

"That is something you should never even consider. He's a tasteless madman living in a shack." It wasn't that he had anything against the exiled shinigami. He was merely stating a fact. Then Uriya glanced over his shoulder at her confused look with a slight smirk. "I have a more favorable solution."

* * *

Ishida Uryuu sat in his living room couch as he looked from the boy standing before him to the arrancar girl who was standing a few paces behind, his jaws hanging slightly as he tried to process everything his son had just said. "And so…you want Nel-chan to live here with us?" It felt a bit strange calling her 'Nel-chan' now that she wasn't so little anymore.

"Yes. It's the best option," Uriya explained, calm as always. "She needs a home, and we have plenty of space. This house is far too big for two people to begin with."

"Yes, but still…" Uryuu replied, somewhat hesitant. Nel was a girl after all. Living with two unrelated men…it just didn't seem like the most appropriate thing to do. Not to mention, it had been such a long time since they'd had a woman in the house. "What about Kurosaki's place?"

"Neliel's previous accommodations there had been inside a closet," the boy divulged blandly.

Uryuu brought a hand to his forehead. Remembering how Rukia used to live in Ichigo's closet, he supposed they _would_ think such an absurd arrangement to be normal. What other options were there? "The vizards'?" he thought out loud. Well, the vizards may have one of the biggest underground training rooms he had ever seen, but he did remember their actual living quarters being rather compact. "No… What about Urahara-san's?" But then an image of the exiled shinigami's rundown shop flashed across his mind's eye and… "Wait. Forget I even said that."

"Then it's settled," Uriya said, trying to move things along. "Neliel. You will be staying here."

Nel raised her brows as she looked between the two.

"Wait a minute!" Uryuu said, slightly panicked. This was happening way too fast. He needed more time to think it through.

The young Quincy placed his hands in his pockets, fiddling with the rocks inside as he pondered briefly. It was time for a slight change of tactics. "Admit it, Tou-san," he said in a voice low enough that only his father could hear. "Sometimes you wish I were a girl."

"Huh?! Uh…well…" Uryuu adjusted his glasses. That question caught him completely off guard. "Th-that doesn't have anything to do with anything!"

Uriya wasn't sure if he should find it sad or humorous that his father didn't even _try_ to deny his statement. "Neliel is a girl," he continued. "She may actually like…frills."

At that, Uryuu suddenly bolted up from his seat as though he had just been struck by enlightenment. Going into designer mode, he looked to Nel with his chin in hand, eyes studying her from head to toe. Why hadn't he noticed before? The girl had the perfect model's figure, and he was already mentally dressing her up in all the latest designs that still only existed in his head.

Uriya gave a small smirk at his father's reaction, knowing he need not try to convince the man any further.

Uryuu coughed into his hand. "Well…if you feel it's best for Nel-chan…"

The boy tried to contain his amusement. "I do."

"Well then," Uryuu said as he went over to Nel and picked up her hand, decisive. "Nel-chan…welcome to your new home."

Nel blinked at the sudden turnaround, somewhat dumbstruck. "Uh…thank you."

Uryuu nodded with a small smile. "Uriya will show you upstairs so you can pick out a room. I'll go see if we have an extra set of keys and a cell phone lying around somewhere that you can use. Just let us know if there's anything you need." He headed towards his office to search for the items he mentioned but halted when he thought of something else. "Oh, but you don't have to worry about clothes. I have that all taken care of."

Nel observed with wonder as she watched Uryuu disappear. "He seems…excited."

"Try not to notice," Uriya said, suppressing the urge to shake his head. "He's already exerting quite a bit of self control." Then he turned to lead the way upstairs. "Come. Perhaps you should take the guest room with the biggest closet. I believe you will require it."

He barely made it to the stairs when Nel tackled him from behind, throwing her arms around his neck. "Ulqui, you're a sweetheart!" she exclaimed, her smile as bright as sunshine. "I think I'll really like it here!"

"I'm glad," he replied, unalarmed and all in all unaffected by the fact that she had attached herself to him again.

"I really can't thank you enough."

He gave a slight smirk. "Just play dress up with him for me, and I will be grateful."

She raised a brow. "Dress up?"

"You will understand soon enough."

"Um…Uryuu said he was going to look for a cell phone just now," she said, still hanging onto him. "Is that the same as the thing you and Grimm use to call each other with?"

"Yes. About that…" He looked away. "…just be prepared to receive messages."

She gave a slight frown. "Messages?"

He heaved a small sigh as he repeated once again, "You will understand soon enough."

* * *

(Two weeks later)

"Everyone, this is Neliel Tu Oderschvank," said the homeroom teacher, introducing the green-haired girl standing at the front of the classroom. "She's a transfer student who will be joining us from now on," she continued in a no nonsense fashion. "Please treat her kindly. Otherwise you may have to take it up with Ishida-kun over there, as Neliel is his sister."

All heads turned toward Uriya, but the teacher cleared her throat before the whispers could get out of control. "Now, Neliel. If you would, please tell us a few things about yourself."

As Nel…in her brand new gigai that looked exactly like her minus her mask, the markings on her face, and the red ring around her neck…began her self-introduction, the boys sitting around Uriya began to launch their whispered questions.

"Psst! Hey, Ishida! That really your sister?!" one asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, she looks nothing like you!" another added.

"Why are you in the same grade?" a third one inquired. "You twins or something?"

"Neliel is my adoptive sister," Uriya said simply. That was the story they were going with. And if anyone should ask why she didn't come to Karakura the same time he and his father did, they would give the handy all-purpose response that would generally stop people from prying any further: family reasons.

"Ohhh…" one of them said as he nodded in understanding. "Guess that explains the different names... But man, I can't believe you never said anything about having such a drop dead gorgeous sister! You wouldn't mind if I asked her to the dance, would you? Ishida, ol' buddy, ol' pal?"

"Oh! Can I ask her out on a date?" the second one jumped in, not wanting to be left out.

"You guys are wimps," the third one stated. "I'm gonna flat out ask her to be my girl," he said with a confident smirk.

Uriya closed his eyes, not sure why these questions were being directed at him. "It's not my concern. However, I don't think it would be wise."

Before the love-struck trio could get Uriya to explain what he meant by that, Nel had wrapped up her little speech and was instructed by the teacher to sit in the empty desk behind her 'brother'.

When he felt a light poke from behind, the young Quincy looked over his shoulder expectantly.

"Why can't I be in the same class as Grimm?" Nel asked, leaning over her desk.

"I told you. If you were, he'd never learn anything." Ginjo would probably find a way to get her to do all of his assignments for him.

She pouted a bit, seemingly unsatisfied with that response. "But I'm older. It makes more sense for me to be in a class with older students."

"Yes, you're older…_much_ older. Therefore, it makes little difference whether you're posing as a sixteen-year-old or a seventeen-year-old," he retorted.

She frowned. She had lost this argument five times already and decided that it was probably time to give in. "Fine," she said with resignation. She supposed it wasn't all that bad. She could still sense Ginjo's reiatsu nearby.

Uriya directed his attention out the window. It felt almost unreal for them to be discussing which class Nel should be in when only two weeks ago they weren't even sure which plane of existence she would be living in.

As he had thought, Soul Society had come for Nel the very next day after their return from Hueco Mundo. However, instead of Abarai Renji, it was Soi Fon, the strict and no-nonsense captain, who had come this time, along with a team from the Onmitsukidou in case they should meet with any resistance. Fortunately, Nel had Yoruichi on her side; the one person who could sway the captain of the Second Division in any way. Thanks to her, Nel didn't get arrested or eliminated on the spot.

Instead, a group of individuals had accompanied Nel and followed the shinigami back to Soul Society to have a nice long meeting with the captains of the Gotei Thirteen. Uriya and Himeko had gone to testify to the fact that Nel was the one who had defeated Nnoitora, the former quinta Espada, and had only shattered Soul Society's reiatsu monitor in order to do so. Shinji, who was there as leader and representative of all the vizards, Rukia, and Uryuu had gone to vouch for Nel, and Renji had voiced his support as well. Then there was the Kurosaki father and son duo that had gone to not-too-subtly imply that there would surely be hell to be paid should there be an unfavorable outcome.

It certainly wasn't Soul Society's style to bend their rules, especially where hollows were concerned. However, when practically _every_ war hero who had played a major role in the defeat of Aizen Sousuke was speaking on Nel's behalf, even the soutaichou had to take that into careful consideration before making any decisions. In the end, after much deliberation, Nel had been granted the right to remain in the living world. In exchange, she had to swear loyalty to Soul Society and vow that she would never harm the living or the souls of pluses.

Uriya wasn't fool enough to believe that it was all done as a result of good faith. The shinigami had now gained themselves a powerful arrancar as an ally, someone with in-depth knowledge about hollows and the ability to use Garganta. And to top it all off, there was still the permanent tracking device as insurance. If Nel should ever betray, she won't be able to escape. Allowing her to stay in the living world was highly beneficial with minimal risks. It was simply good strategy on Soul Society's part, but since things turned out in everyone's favor, nobody had any complaints.

* * *

Himeko darted out of the classroom as soon as the lunch bell rang, her jar of red bean paste in one hand, her loaf of bread in the other. Once she got out into the school yard, it didn't take long for her to spot the people she was looking for. Nel was practically surrounded by a group of vulture-like boys while Uriya stood aloof, observing from a safe distance.

The orange-haired girl went over to the Quincy's side. "What's going on?" She had to ask even though it was quite obvious.

"Ambush," Uriya replied without tearing his eyes away.

Himeko gave him a questioning look. "Aren't you going to help?"

"I'd rather not get caught in the middle when the inevitable happens," he answered honestly as he placed his hands in his pockets. "Neliel will be fine."

"I'm more worried about the boys."

Although Uriya would _like_ to say that they'd be fine as well…the truth was, he couldn't guarantee their safety.

As for Nel, there were so many people talking to her all at once, she wasn't sure who she should respond to. People were asking her where she was from, which class she was in, whether or not they could buy her lunch, and so on and so forth. It was all a bit overwhelming.

After a while, one of the boys pushed his way through the crowd and draped an arm over Nel's shoulder. It was one of the love-struck trios from earlier…the one who said he was going to flat out ask her to be his girl. "Nel-chan, since you're new here, why don't I show you around the school?" he asked casually.

"Mmm…I already know my way around the school pretty well," Nel said thoughtfully. She'd followed Ginjo to class many times before after all.

"Oh, really? Well then…how about I show you around town?" the boy continued, not ready to give up. "I know where all the happening places are." By now, all of the other boys were backing off, so he figured he'd won the competition. "I can take you to a nice restaurant," he continued, confidence building. "I know where the best arcades are, if you're into that. Dance clubs…parks…"

"Do you know where the hospital is?"

"Of course! It's—" The boy faltered. That didn't sound right. "What?"

"I said, do you know where the hospital is?"

Just as the boy had thought, it wasn't Nel who had asked the question. It was someone else from somewhere behind him. A male voice that sounded familiar…but not in a good way. Turning around, he came face to chest with none other than the Blue-Haired Devil himself.

"…because that's where you'll be headed next if you don't get your hands off of her," Ginjo finished as he loomed over the boy who was by now frozen with fear. "Now!"

The boy nearly jumped out of his skin. "Y-yes, sir!" Then he blurted a quick "Nel-chanI'llseeyoulaterinclass!" and zoomed off.

With a crack of Ginjo's knuckles, all other bystanders dispersed as well.

"Why did you make him leave?" Nel asked, perplexed. "He seems helpful. I was going to ask him where's a good place to go buy chocolate."

Ginjo rolled his eyes. "Open your mouth." She did and he tossed in a piece of chocolate. "Here's your damn chocolate. Notice when stupid punks are hitting on you, would ya?! I swear, you're even worse than princess over there," he said as he jabbed a thumb towards his sister. When Nel just gave him that I-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about frown, he felt like ramming his head into a tree. That was when his ears picked up the not-so-private conversation Uriya and Himeko were having.

"Wow, Gin-chan ended that a lot more quickly than I thought he would!" Himeko commented.

"With only a mild threat and no bloodshed," Uriya added. "I'm rather impressed."

Ginjo threw a glare their way, but all that did was amuse them more than anything. "Whatever," he grumbled with discontent. "I'm leaving," he announced before walking off, ignoring Nel's calls from behind. This seemed like a perfect day to skip out. In fact, he needed to get away.

After that whole deal with Nnoitora and then that whole _other_ deal with Soul Society, Ginjo had thought that life would just go back to normal. However, he had forgotten to take into account that, with the addition of Nel in his life, the definition of 'normal' had changed. He had no regrets about everything that had happened, and if he had to do it all over again, he would still make all the same choices. There was just a lot that he had to get used to.

"Griiiiiiiiimmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Ginjo's muscles tensed as his eyes widened. _…oh, hell no…_

After running at full tilt, Nel launched herself towards Ginjo's back and tackled him to the ground, face first. "Where're you going? Didn't you hear me calling you?"

He growled with frustration. "Get off of me, squirt!!"

"We haven't even had lunch, yet! I brought something for you!" she continued in high spirits as though she hadn't heard his complaint.

"Damn it! Listen when I'm talking to you!"

"Let's see…there's a sandwich…a cookie…pudding…"

He heaved a sigh of resignation as she continued to list out all the things she made for him, trying not to think about the fact that the world had just witnessed him being taken down by this happy girl. Yes, there was a lot that he had to get used to, and he would need some time to adjust to it all. But it definitely wasn't anything he couldn't handle. After all, he was merely taking the next step in life.

…_END…_

* * *

A/N: And that's how our trio became a foursome.

Sorry for the super long wait. I was busy…then I got sick…then I had writer's block. Ugh. The second half of the chapter gave me so much trouble. I rewrote and edited it sooooo many times. I'm still not that happy with it, but…I kinda got tired of trying to fix it. Heh. Hope it still turned out ok.

"Searching" was sort of about things remaining the same over time and trials, so I wanted the sequel to be about change. Not a big sudden change, but the gradual change that happens over time, hence "Evolve".

Uryuu finally gets to make an actual appearance and not just in essence via phone conversations! But Uriya…you kinda have to wonder how much of his decision to bring Nel home was for her benefit and how much of it was for his own. Haha! XD

Where to go from here… Well, as far as this story goes, things will probably go back to "Glimpses" for a while, and it will take into account the events that took place in "Evolve". There's another multi-chaptered story that I would _like_ to write after this one, but the current status of that story is "seriously half baked", so…I'm not sure if it will happen or not. There are a couple of non-Bleach projects I'd like to work on, too, so it may be a while before the next update on "Glimpses".

Many thanks for reading and for sticking with the story!

To my silent readers, you've reached the end. I'd love to hear from you. =D

That's all for now! Till next time!


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